Harry Potter and the Daughter of Darkness
by Charmed-2007-3
Summary: Voldemort has a daughter?


Prologue:

About twelve years ago, Lord Voldemort had a beautiful wife and an equally stunning daughter of four years. Not many people knew that Voldemort had a life outside of his evil doings, but those who did, took full advantage of it. His wife, Miranda, was worried that his supporters and even his enemies would harm not only herself but their daughter as well. Not wanting her husband's cruelty and malice to corrupt their daughter, the only good thing they had done together, Miranda stole her away. Running to the only person she knew could help her, Miranda went to see Dumbledore. Hopefully everything would go according to plan; and they wouldn't kill her and her daughter.

Tucking her daughter closely to her side; Miranda looked fearfully at the steps of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Looking at four year old Victoria, Miranda smiled slightly. Her eyes were bright and looking around her attentively. Walking up the steps of the deserted school Miranda took a deep breath and pushed the door open. At once she was assaulted with old memories of the time she had attended the school with joy. Being the summer time, the school was dark and desolate. Shivering, she walked inside and closed the door against the wind outside. As she made her way into the Great Hall, her boots clicked with each step. Maybe her informants were wrong and Dumbledore was not here.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she dismissed it. Her and her husband's informants were never wrong; mostly because the sharing of incorrect information resulted in their deaths. Sitting Victoria down on one of the empty benches, Miranda sighed again. Victoria looked around and smiled with excitement. They hadn't let her outside that much since Voldemort had grown more outspoken against the Ministry of Magic. Miranda constantly feared for her daughter's life whenever she was out of her sight for more than an hour. Looking around she decided that Dumbledore had to be around here somewhere; the question was, "where?"

"Momma, where we at?" little Victoria asked with a hesitant voice. Something had spooked her daughter, and that was always a sign to be on alert. One thing she had learned was that her daughter was keen on every detail and was never wrong about her feelings. Grabbing Victoria back into her arms, she turned around at the exact moment that four men came into the room. Pulling her wand from the inside of her cloak, Miranda turned to shield Victoria from view. As the men came into the little light that was provided, her gaze focused on one person in particular. Miranda lowered her wand with surprised eyes.

"Snape, you're the snitch Voldemort was talking about?" Miranda was dumbfounded. Just then Victoria caught sight of Snape and leaped out of her arms.

"Uncle Snape!" she threw herself against his legs not knowing what was going on and Miranda's eyes widened in horror. They wouldn't harm her would they? Snape leaned down and picked the grinning girl up smiling back at her. As she snuggled into his shoulder he turned his eyes to Miranda.

"What are you doing here? Have you gone mad bringing Vikki here, of all places?" Snape's anger was palpable, as was the caution from the rest of his companions. Miranda dropped her wand onto the nearest table and stepped toward them. He knew this was a sign that she wouldn't fight. As she took the tired girl from his arms he heard her take a shaky breath.

"I didn't come here to fight. I want to speak to Dumbledore." Her announcement surprised him. Turning to his companions, Dumbledore stepped forward. Sirius and Remus stayed where they were; although a little suspicious. But he didn't blame them, he was too.

"Alright then, young lady, you may talk." Dumbledore said in his gentle and parental voice that he almost always talked in. Miranda shifted Vikki to her other hip and gave a small smile.

"I've come to ask a favor," she began, but he interrupted her.

"From Voldemort, or yourself?" Dumbledore asked, wondering exactly what she wanted with him. She was the Dark Lord's mistress and not one known to do the unexpected.

"A favor for me." She said in a slightly irritated voice. "Alright just hear me out and if you still do not see fit to grant me my favor I'll . . ." she hesitated, debating what she could do. Then a thought hit her. "Then I'll turn myself in willingly." She saw all of their eyes widen in surprise and then their nodded heads in agreement. "I want you to . . . take Vikki from me."

"What are talking about?" Snape asked a horrible feeling in his gut; one that was making it hard for him to think or swallow. He saw Miranda bite her lip and then sigh.

"I want you to put her in a good home; a place where she'll grow up and have a normal life; a life away from pain and . . . evil." Looking at Vikki, Miranda smiled sadly and then looked at the ground. "This isn't a spur of the moment thing. Voldemort has been . . . teaching her things . . . things that make my blood run cold to have a child know. I-I just want her away from him . . . and me." Looking at Dumbledore she saw his sympathy for her daughter, and nothing more. She couldn't expect anything more though, she wasn't any better than her husband was. Snape was dumbstruck.

"Alright Miranda, I'll do as you ask." Dumbledore said trying to imagine how hard it must be to give up your own child to someone else. "Any certain home or requests you'd like to make?"

"Uh, yeah actually there are a few. If you don't mind?" she asked glad that he had brought it up and she hadn't needed to. "I want her to grow up with a muggle family. One's who know of the wizarding world and know how vital it is that her identity stays a secret from the rest of the world." Miranda looked at Vikki and felt tears form in her eyes. "Her name must be changed and I'll leave that up to the people who take her in. I want her to be taught to that the morals of good and evil. I want her to attend Hogwarts, if it's at all possible. And she needs to be told the truth of her past." Her daughter seeing the tears roll down her mother's cheeks looked at her curiously. And then put both hands on her mom's face and wiped the tears away.

"Why you cry, momma?" Vikki asked pursing her lips into a pout. Looking from Snape back to her mother, Vikki sniffed. "Not like when momma cries. Momma stop cry for me please?" Miranda laughed and made her tears stop. The others chuckled appreciatively and it lightened the mood in the air, barely. "Better momma, better."

"Yeah, momma's better sweetie." Miranda said, and then turned her attention back to her requests. "I want her told exactly who her father was, and how evil he was. And who her mother was, and that she wasn't an innocent either." Walking up to Snape she kissed his cheek as she had the many times he had come to visit her at her house. "I knew you could never be in league with my husband, Severus. And I was right, and I'm glad that I was." Handing Vikki over to Snape, her daughter felt the difference immediately. When she leaned down and kissed the top of Vikki's head, her daughter's eyes filled with tears. "Make sure she has a good home, with people who love and cherish her."

"Momma," Vikki's curious voice made Miranda pause halfway to picking up her wand. Making sure not to turn around she cocked her head to show she was listening. Miranda doubted that she'd be able to look back and carry out her plans. "You not coming back are you? Me miss you very much if you not come back." Miranda squeezed her eyes shut against the onslaught of guilt and sorrow that filled her. Grabbing her wand with such force that her knuckles turned white, Miranda Disaparated without a backwards glance. Vikki looked up at Snape's drawn face and sniffed. "Why momma leave uncle Snape? Why momma leave me?"

Vikki was given a new home with two muggle parents that simply adored her. Miranda returned home to a furious Voldemort, but he had understood the fear that drove her to her actions. He kissed her lightly upon the lips and said that he'd be back to discuss her actions further. But he never returned to her, for the ones he had gone to see were the Potters. He was stopped by the little three year old boy, Harry Potter. When the news of his downfall spread, his followers came to see Miranda. They wanted his heiress to carry on what he had left behind. But when she told them of her betrayal against her husband they became furious. They turned their wands on her sorrow stricken form; she was killed instantly. But there was a smile on her lips; for she knew that her daughter was safe from them.

And for twelve years Vikki's presence went unnoticed by all friend and foe; even Snape and the others that had given Vikki her new home. They had cast a memory charm that made them forget the whereabouts of the little girl. But they still held the memories of her in their mind, and all hoped to one day see her again. To see if she would grow up to be a cheerful woman that all adored; for that was the wish that Miranda had wanted to be granted. And they all hoped it would come true.

And twelve years later, a seventeen year old girl lay on her bed gazing at the only picture of her mother she owned; as she read the acceptance letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A forlorn expression on her face, the girl pulled out her mother's wand and shuddered_. 'What would it be like to return to the magical world that has taken everything from me? Will I be able to fit in and pass as an ordinary witch? Can I keep it a secret that I'm Voldemort and Miranda's daughter? Or will I be shunned because of the past?' _Those thoughts drifted through the girl's mind as she dropped off to sleep. Tomorrow she would begin a journey that would change her life forever.

Present day:

Looking at the ordinary train station, Ileana tapped her finger on her chin. The ticket for Hogwarts train said that it was platform 9 ¾. Looking at platform 9 and then at platform 10, she gave an exasperated sigh. Looking at the cart full of the things she was required to have for the school year she groaned. She looked very weird; she knew this by all the people staring at her. Among other things on the cart she had a snow white owl; she had named Jazzy, parchments and quills, and a cauldron. Oh, yeah, she looked very weird. So where the hell was that damned train at? Just then a couple of red-headed boys, around her age of seventeen walked up in front of her. The thing caught her attention, besides that they were identical twins, was that they also had an owl and a cauldron on their cart. Scrunching her nose up in debate, Ileana approached them.

"Um, excuse me," she said as she flicked her shoulder length blonde hair out of her silver-grey eyes. They turned around in unison and gaped at her. But she could hardly blame them; she was wearing a gold halter top that showed off her bare shoulders, black Capri's that showed off her sun-moon tattoo on her left ankle, and leather sandals. Her hair was pushed off her face by blue tinged sunglasses and she knew she was beautiful, that's why she accented it. But the staring had to stop, because she didn't want anymore attention on her than was necessary.

"Hey, blunder heads," another red-haired boy, this one a little younger than her, said smacking the twins in the head. "Quit staring. She obviously needs to ask something if she's talking the likes of you two." The twins glared at, what she supposed was their younger brother, and Ileana couldn't help but smile. This just made them all stare at her in awe.

"Okay, seriously," Another boy, this one with dark hair and glasses, said shaking his head. "You can stop the drooling any time now." This seemed to snap them out of their trance and made her smile again. Just then a woman with red hair, she assumed to be their mother, walked up to see what the commotion was. She gave Ileana a quick up and down that had her blushing. Seeing that this made her uncomfortable, the woman smiled gently and offered her hand.

"I'm Molly Weasley," she said. Ileana shook Molly's hand and smiled with relief. She wasn't one of those mother's who believed that she was trash just because she dressed to flaunt herself. "These are my boys, Fred and George, and their brother Ron, and Ron's friend, Harry. May I ask who you are dear?" The boys nodded as their names were called.

"Sorry, I'm Ileana Sears." She said embarrassed that she hadn't introduced herself earlier. "Sorry, but I thought that you might . . . I mean that you go to . . ." she drowned off as she realized that if they didn't go to Hogwarts then she would be in big trouble. Non-magical people, often called muggles, were not allowed to know the existence of magical schools. She saw Molly smile at her and relaxed a little bit.

"You must be new to Hogwarts then?" Ileana smiled and nodded, grateful that she had understood. "Ah, then come along, we'll show you how to get to platform 9 ¾." Molly took control of Ileana's cart and directed her at the wall. Together they walked through the wall and appeared at another train station. And Hogwarts Express was there, waiting on them. Her eyebrows rose in amazement before she was ushered forward by Mrs. Weasley. "I'll leave in the care of my boys now. I trust they'll take good care of you, now." She smiled her thanks and went to the changing room and put on her school robes. Then she went to put her things away in the train shelves. As she tried to lift the heavy trunk filled with her books and potion ingredients, the twins came into the luggage room.

"Hey, Ileana, need a hand?" Fred asked, making her heave a sigh of relief. Nodding her head, all three of them picked it up and shoved in onto the shelf. Looking at the twins grinning faces, she cocked her head.

"Thanks, I probably would have ended up hurting myself." She glanced at them nervously, and then made up her mind. "Do guys have an empty seat in your compartment?" she saw their grins widen and bit her lip. Did she make a mistake?

"No problem," George said leading her out of the storage room. "We have one extra seat." When they led her into the compartment, she got nervous. There were three other people in the same little room; the two other boys from earlier and a blondish-brown haired girl. George sat down across from them and then she sat down next to him. When they had finally settled in she was in between the twins. Then they decided to "get to know each other."

"I'm Hermione Granger," the girl said giving her a bright smile. Ileana smiled back and turned her attention to the twins who were looking at each other. They looked very suspicious as Ileana leaned her head back on the booth. "So are you a fourth year like us? I've never seen you before."

"Um, I'm not sure what year I am." Ileana said pausing to think. "I transferred to Hogwarts. Everything's kind of new to me." She saw them all exchange glances.

"So you've never been in a magic school before?" Harry asked surprised. Ileana nodded with a little apprehension. She knew who he was; the downfall of her father. But she didn't want to judge him, because she wouldn't want him to judge her. "How can that be?"

"Um, they had me take a magical aptitude test when they sent the letter this summer." Ileana flipped hair out of her eyes again and looked at the ceiling. "I guess it was to see what . . . uh, year I would be going into. I've been home schooled by my parents since I was old enough to hold a wand." Looking down, she saw everyone was looking at her amazed, except for Hermione.

"Of course, I should have known that. It's in _Hogwarts, a History_ and it tells all about the school's aptitude test. Was it hard to take?" Ileana could tell right away that Hermione was a very bright and intelligent person.

"No, it wasn't that it was hard. It was more of . . . uh, I can't find the words for it." Ileana smiled, "It was more of a 'what-do-you-know' kind of test. Nothing counted against me if I didn't know it. It was just to see how far along I had gotten and where I would be placed." Hermione nodded hanging on every word that she said.

"So why didn't you attend Hogwarts sooner?" Ron asked and Harry elbowed him. "What, it's just a question."

"It's a personal question that she might not want to answer." Harry said quietly; trying to not be the center of attention. Ileana smiled appreciatively at Harry for considering her feelings. Ron looked very embarrassed and Ileana couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Sorry," Ron mumbled looking down at the floor. Ileana leaned back against the seat and shut her eyes.

"It's okay; I just don't want to talk about it, if you don't mind." As the train ride progressed everyone fell silent. The talk didn't resume as, one by one, they all fell asleep. Ileana let her head droop onto Fred's shoulder. She felt him shift to give her a more comfortable position and smiled. But sleep was called to her before she could thank him. He was pretty cute, but for some reason, she didn't think his twin was. That didn't make sense, seeing as they were identical twins.

As Ileana slowly woke up she kept her eyes closed when she heard that they were talking . . . about her. Her back and neck were very sore, but she realized that she was still leaning on Fred and he had an arm around her. She fought the blush that would give away that she was awake, but lost miserably. Opening her eyes, she shrugged off his arm and looked at the ceiling. But she still saw his wide smile. As the train came to a stop, she was the first to jump up and head to the storage room. Getting everything on the cart, except her trunk she bit her lip. Looking around, she saw that Fred had waited for her.

"Need help?" she nodded and looked away. She couldn't believe that she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. When he came over they reached up and, together, pulled her trunk out of the shelf and put it on her cart. Looking around she realized that his cart wasn't there. Seeing her look he grinned. "I send my things early so I won't have to go through all the trouble of hauling it up the steps." She nodded and smiled back at him. Then, to her disbelief, he pushed her cart up to the castle. She would have been angry and said that she wasn't helpless, but . . . The sight of her new school made her come to a complete stop. At that time a servant came out and offered to take the cart to her room. Fred was watching her with hidden amusement.

"It's so . . ." Ileana shook her head and craned her head to see the top of the building. Looking back down at the entrance she began to get nervous. "It's so big and . . . Wow, there's going to be a lot of kids in there." She turned to see that Fred was smiling. "What?" she asked very suspiciously.

"Don't worry; I'll introduce you to everyone." He walked ahead with a small laugh. Staring after him she crossed her arms.

"I'm not worried you know." She yelled after him and then seeing she was alone she ran to catch up with him. At the door, a professor in a black rimmed witch hat stopped their progress.

"Mr. Weasley the beginning ceremony is about to start. It'd be wise to attend." She said, and Fred grinned, which made Ileana and the professor smile. "And you must be Ileana Sears. I'm Professor McGonagall, and if you follow me, I'll get you settled into your correct house." Giving Fred a look of apprehension she followed McGonagall through the castle. As they neared a painting the teacher stopped. "This is the Fat Lady and you'll have to give her the correct password to enter the dormitories." Ileana looked at the picture and realized that it was moving. "Fairy Lights." The painting swung open with a muffle 'good day' and they walked in. "That's the password. It changes so be mindful of your classmates."

"Uh, okay," Ileana said as she stared at the two couches, two chairs and the fire place in what looked like a sitting room.

"This is the Gryffindor Common Room where you'll be able to do your homework and 'hang out' with the friends you make." McGonagall said, as she turned toward a staircase. It split into a right and left section. "Okay, to right and up the stairs are the boys' sleeping quarters and to the left are the girls' quarters." Ileana nodded and paid a little attention to the teacher as she gave her a tour of the castle. Then as it ended she realized that it was pretty late and she hadn't had anything to eat since this morning. "Dinner will be served in a half an hour in the Great Hall. I'll escort you there and then leave you to your classmates."

Entering the Great Hall her eyes widened in amazement. The ceiling had been transfigured to look like the night sky. It was really cool but . . . Ileana didn't know which table was Gryffindor. Looking around, all she saw was foreign faces and she began to get really nervous. As she was about to back out of the room she heard a familiar voice. "Hey Ileana come over here!" Fred's voice had everyone turning around to look at who he was talking to. Walking quickly over to him, she shoved him over gently and sat down next to him. Her face was very red.

"Hey, what house are you in? You're supposed to sit with your house." Fred said, loving how she looked when she was blushing. He saw her shoot him a glare and had to keep from laughing. He hadn't really liked a girl in a long time but she was quickly beginning to pique his interest.

"Well, since you so nicely have everyone in this dining hall looking at me now, I'll have to settle with this table." He heard the sarcastic note in her voice and couldn't explain why he liked her so much after only knowing her a little less than a day. "What house is this anyways?"

"This is the Gryffindor house, everyone you met on the train is in this house, well except you." He grinned at his small joke and to his surprise she smiled too.

"Well you're wrong on two accounts." Ileana said, loving that he looked as surprised as she had been. "I didn't meet myself on that train, duh. And I'm in Gryffindor as well. Luck's on my side for a change." Ileana said with a laugh and saw his eyes widen in response. Then he smiled back at her before the food appeared before them. She ate very enthusiastically and saw that Fred was staring at her. She put down her fork and looked at him. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"No, it's just humoring to see a girl who doesn't worry about her weight." Fred said and she would have taken offense but at that time the bell rang for the end of dinner. Shrugging off his comment, she stood up and bumped into someone that was behind her.

"Watch it!" a greasy blond haired boy said in a nasty voice as he turned around. Then he saw her face and his mouth dropped open. "Sorry, it was my fault." That made Fred snort in laughter, but he was also tense. He didn't want Ileana's first day to be ruined by this pigheaded moron. "I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Draco Malfoy, and you are?"

"Way out of your league," Ileana said putting her arm through Fred's and practically dragging his shocked form out of the Hall. He dissolved into laughter the moment they got to the staircase that led to Gryffindor tower. She shook her head and waited until he had stopped laughing. "Who was that?"

"That was Draco Malfoy, daddy's little boy." Fred said staring at her in awe. She had not seen the look on Malfoy's face but he had. Malfoy had been so awestruck at Ileana's beauty. Then he went from amazed to shocked at how she promptly dismissed him with only five little words. Fred shook his head and hooked his arm back through Ileana's. She was special, that was for sure.

Schedule:

PotionsSnape

TransfigurationMcGonagall

DivinationTrelawney

LUNCH

CharmsFlitwick

HerbologySprout

CFMCHagrid

The next day Ileana woke up and dressed in the school robes. Then she looked at her school schedule: Seeing that she Potions first she decided to get an early start by going to class early. Looking at the teacher's name she gave a jolt of awareness. She'd known someone by that name, a long time ago. Was it the same person she knew, or was it someone else. She knew that even if it was he would not know who she was unless she told him. All of the ones who had given her a home had cast a selective memory charm on themselves. She'd always wondered why, but hadn't gotten the chance to ask. Not event he headmaster, Dumbledore, knew who she truly was. 

Walking into the dungeon room quietly she put her books on the table that her name on it. It also had the names of the others who would be sitting with her. Hermione and Fred were sitting on either side of her. Just then the teacher entered and Ileana's jaw dropped in amazement. Snape had not changed a not since she had last seen him when she had been four years old. He looked at her and she saw the glare he directed her way. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she turned away from him. Had he turned so mean since she had last seen him? Did anything ever not change?

As the class filed in, Fred smiled as he sat down beside Ileana. But it faded quickly when he saw how pale she was. But before he could ask what was wrong, Snape flung the dungeon door slammed closed with his wand. She saw in a haze that Hermione, Ron, and Harry were sitting just behind her. As the potions instructions appeared on the board the class started on it at once. Realizing that her hands were shaking, Ileana clenched them together and forced them to be steady. And then she started in on her potion. She didn't have trouble because her mom and dad had made sure that she had been well prepared.

But as the class progressed, Ileana had to keep her tears in check. Snape, it turned out, had turned into a bully that made her wonder what happened to the fun-loving guy she had once thought of as a father figure. He would stare over Neville Longbottom's shoulder making him quiver and stumble throughout the potion. He seemed especially hard on the poor kid. She finished bottling her potion when the bell rang to end the class. Gathering her things, she raced out of the classroom and up to the Gryffindor common room. There she deposited her books and other school things on the couch and sat down with a small sigh.

"You are supposed to be downstairs," Professor Dumbledore said surprising her. When had he come into the tower? "Why are you up here all alone?" he asked which made her sigh again. He didn't know who she was then, she didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Oh, um, well, I just don't feel like eating right now." She said looking into the fire and hoping he wouldn't call her bluff. She was, of course, starving as usual. When she was greeted with silence she looked up and found that he was gone. Curling up on the couch she relaxed and decided to pass the time with a little nap. And she fell asleep thinking of what she remembered about her childhood.

Harry and Ron walked into the common room to find Ileana asleep on the couch. Giving each other a look they sighed.

"Do you reckon we should wake her up?" Ron asked looking at Harry for his opinion.

"Well I guess we should, class starts in a few minutes." Harry said bending down to shake her gently. Her eyes snapped open and she jumped up quickly. Taking one look at them she ran out of the room in a hurry.

"Wonder what her problem was?" Ron asked looking at Harry like it was his fault. Glaring at his, Harry made his way to Transfiguration with Ron at his side. They'd find out what was wrong in class. But to their surprise, she never showed up.

Ileana slumped against the bathroom stall. The moment that Harry had touched her, her life had flashed before her eyes. Visions of her past that she would soon have forgotten. But one of the scenes had been the one that had the contents of last night's dinner coming back up. Ileana had a skull shaped scar on the right side of her lower abdomen. She hadn't known where she had gotten it, but now she did. She had seen her father carving it into her skin when she had been no older than a year old.

She had thrown up in the bathroom and was now sobbing into her hands as she clutched her stomach. The scar on her belly was aching; a dull throb that matched her headache. She had been in here for about four hours already. She missed her afternoon class and dinner was just about to begin. She was hungry but she really didn't want to run into Harry again. She couldn't chance having that vision again. Besides she was too weak to do more than walk a few paces. Standing up she left the stall and walked shakily to the sink.

Looking at her face she saw it was blotchy and pale. Turning on the water she scrubbed her face. Looking back at her reflection everything seemed out of focus, except for her silver-grey eyes. They were as bright as ever. The same color as Voldemort's. That thought had her sinking to the ground as tears dissolved her ability to stand any longer. Her scar was making her dizzy and she finally fainted into a blissful numbness.

Ileana woke up, the next morning, to the face of Dumbledore right at the foot of the hospital wing's bed. Not understanding why she was here she thought back . . . and wished she hadn't. Her stomach was a knot of nerves that threatened to revolt at any minute. Her scar wasn't hurting anymore but she was still dizzy. Dumbledore's smile made her focus on him more clearly.

"How are you feeling, child?" he asked in a paternal voice that made her think of her father, John. How she wished that he could be here to comfort her now. She shrugged her shoulders at his question and closed her eyes again. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" he asked gently. She shook her head, not able to tell him who she really was and face his reaction. She didn't want to ruin any chance she had at fitting in at this school. "Alright, but if you need to talk, I'm always here." She nodded her head as he left the wing.

Ileana was too shaky and a little nervous. Who could she tell that wouldn't judge her by her father and mother's actions? Dumbledore was her father's sworn enemy, though he had helped her mother give her a better home. Voldemort had killed Harry's parents and very nearly him as well on more than one occasion. What was she going to do? Getting out of bed she grabbed her books and headed off to Potions Class. Maybe, just maybe, she could tell Snape. He had once been like family to her.

Sitting down beside Fred just as the bell rang, Ileana ignored his questioning look. She really liked Fred, but two things told her not to pursue it. One, she didn't know if he like her back, and two, she didn't want to get him involved in her problems. She didn't want to hurt him. As Snape wrote down the new potion ingredients she saw him throw a glance at her. He made it look like a casual look, but she knew innately that it was deliberately. What had Dumbledore told him; to keep an eye on her? She got done with her potion an hour before class ended so she packed everything away. Then, out of nowhere, Snape was at her side.

"May I have a word, Miss Sears." His voice was still harsh and cruel as it had been yesterday, but she sensed an undercurrent of hesitancy in his voice. Looking up at him she nodded and he led her into his private office, away from prying eyes and ears. "Dumbledore has asked that I ask you tell me what happened yesterday." Snape said without preamble. She smiled, some things never changed. "I'm warning you Sears that I have truth potion strong enough to have you blubbering your deepest secrets. I don't want all this secrecy nonsense."

"Yeah well some things never change," Ileana said, trying to make him stop his warnings, which weren't necessary. He gave her a startled glance and then took the bait she had so carefully dangled in front of him.

"What do you mean, 'some things never change?'" Snape asked a bit too snappishly. "I don't think you have the right to say that to me, Miss Sears." He said clearly agitated.

"You don't recognize me but that's understandable. You haven't seen me for almost twelve years. Though I have to say you're a lot surlier than I remember you, Uncle Snape; and a lot meaner too. Makes me want to cry when I remember how you used to be." His jaw had dropped open and he was staring at her. The bell rang and she put her hand on the door handle. "When you're ready to talk you'll know where to find me." With that she walked out with tears in her eyes. Fred was waiting for her at the door.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, shifting his books to one hand and throwing an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him as they walked to Gryffindor common room. No one was there so they sat down on the couch after they dropped their books on the table. She looked at Fred and tried to smile, but it didn't work. "Are you going to tell what has you upset?" Ileana looked into his green eyes and wondered if she could tell him.

"If I tell you something you won't judge me by it would you?" she asked and Fred wondered what she was going on about. Looking into her silver-grey eyes he knew nothing would change his opinion about Ileana.

"Hey," he said putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a one-sided hug. He felt her arms go around him and smiled gently. "Nothing you can tell me will make me think less of you. I mean I could tell you a thing or two about me that make you think less of me, but . . ." he let his words hang in the air and saw her grin.

"Impossible," Ileana said smiling at Fred. "You are the funniest, most caring person I've ever met." She sighed and decided to tell him; if she was able to. "Okay I'll tell you what's wrong, but only if you promise not to tell a soul." She saw him nod his head in agreement and she stood up. He gave her a curious look and she sighed. "After what I'm going to tell me, I guarantee you won't want to touch me again."

"Impossible," he said mimicking her earlier statement. "Sorry, but you've grown on me. No chance I'm going to abandon you now." Then she proceeded to telling her story. She didn't see his reactions to what she said because she stood staring into the dying fire. She really didn't want to know what he thought of her. As she finished, she gave a sigh.

"And now I'm at Hogwarts where I know at least two people from my past. Snape, who has changed so much that, it breaks my heart. And Dumbledore, who I don't really know all that well. And I don't want people to know because I don't want them to think I'm horrible. But at the same time I can't deny who I am and pretend everything's alright when it's not." She felt a hand come down on her shoulder and she spun around. Fred held out his arms, and amazed Ileana accepted the hug. He rubbed her back and she decided that at least had gone right.

"You really thought that I'd judge you different?" Fred asked, amazed that the girl in his arms hadn't broken down yet. Yeah, he was a little shocked to find out who she really was, but . . . that didn't change her heart or mind. She was still that same good hearted Ileana he had met at the train station. Wow, to think that was only four days ago. Feeling her hands smooth around his back he smiled. All she really needed was someone to want her for all that she was. And, even if she didn't realize it yet, she had just gotten that very thing.

"I didn't know how'd you react." Ileana said lifting her head to look in his eyes. "Although I didn't imagine it would go this good." He smiled at her and sighed. She looked at him and cocked her head. "What's wrong?"

"You said that when touched Harry that you had a vision," she nodded and he continued. "So will it happen again if you touch him?" she shrugged her shoulders and Fred didn't know what to do. If the vision made her that sick the first time, it was bound to get worse. "So are you just going to avoid him the rest of the school year?"

"I don't know if I would be able to," Ileana said in a hurt voice. Fred knew that she didn't want to have that vision again, and he didn't blame her. "I think I'm just going to go home. I should have let my mom and dad keep home schooling me." She felt Fred stiffen and looked up. His eyes were full of hurt and she didn't understand why. "What?"

"But you'll be leaving behind the friends you've made," Fred said really wishing that one girl he like a lot wouldn't leave before he had the chance to start anything with her. "You'll be leaving me." Ileana looked into his eyes and realized something all at once.

"You like me, don't you?" Ileana asked giving a small smile when he blushed. Looking at the ground she felt herself blush with her next words. "Well I like you too; a lot actually." Fred titled her head back up and met her shy eyes. But her eyes dulled when she remembered all that had happened. "But I can't chance it; that vision was . . . beyond horrible. It was painful and it hurt. Not physically but . . ." her voice broke and she felt him tighten his arms around her. She felt his sigh and then the pain with his next words.

"I know it wouldn't be fair for you to stay just for me." Fred said trying hard to keep his emotions under control. "If you want to go home, then you should. You'll be safer there anyways." She looked up at him and smiled. Leaning forward she gave him a quick kiss on the lips. His stunned expression made her smile widen.

"I hope I see you again. But I have to see Dumbledore first and see if he'll let me leave." he nodded, still in a daze. She walked to the portrait and paused a moment wondering something. He looked at her and she titled her head. "Would you have asked me out if I stayed?" he nodded with such certainty that it made her heart hurt. The one guy she could actually like and be in a relationship with, and she had to leave him behind.

As she came into Dumbledore's office Ileana became very nervous. Would he let her go home or would he make her stay? Both ways there were good and bad things that awaited her.

"Ileana," Dumbledore said as he gestured to an empty chair in forn tof his big oak desk. "Have a seat."

"Headmaster, I want to go home." She said getting straight to the point. "I don't want to stay here anymore. I'm sorry I even accepted the invitation to attend Hogwarts." As she said this her head bowed and she refused to look up.

"Being Voldemort's daughter does not mean that you aren't a good person, Ileana. You choose who you want to be. No one is destined to be bad because of who their family is." He said which made her head snap up in shock. She lifted her eyes and looked into his. They were filled with compassion and hope; not hate like she thought they would be.

"But when I touched Harry . . . Harry Potter, I had a vision of my . . . uh, Voldemort burning something into my abdomen." With that she stood up and lifted her shirt just high enough to show the Death Eater mark; the sign of her father. Dumbledore came around his desk, lowered her shirt and kissed her forehead fatherly.

"That vision is just to remind you that your past will always be with you." He said lowering her back into the chair. "The past always humbles those who take the time to remember it." Dumbledore paused at the doorway just before he turned to leave. "You can go home, or you can stay and learn how to fight the good fight." His words carried on through her mind as she sat in his office contemplating what she would do.

Two hours later she was sitting in potions class copying down the ingredients and instructions for their homework. Snape wasn't anywhere to be seen and that kind of worried Ileana. But Fred was so shocked to see that she had decided to stay that he hadn't said one word to her yet. She skipped lunch by hiding out in the bathroom. She hadn't eaten anything in over three days, but she couldn't bring herself to eat with everyone yet.

In Transfiguration she managed to turn a mouse into a box of matches. And she earned Gryffindor ten points because she was the only one who could turn the matches back into the mouse. Then she went to Divination with Professor Trelawney. The teacher was weird and mysterious. She predicted her and Harry's deaths twice before Ileana stopped paying attention. As she looked at the forest her scar started to hurt. At the same time Harry grabbed his head and moaned. Trelawney asked for someone to take him to the nurse, so she volunteered.

She led him to the end of the hall where he stopped and asked her to take him to see Dumbledore. She made sure that they didn't touch each other, but led him to the headmaster's office. He said that she could leave now and that he was fine on her own. But he didn't know that she was just as much a part of this as he was. She shrugged and sat down in one of the armchairs while Harry sat down in the other one. Dumbledore appeared just as Harry was going to ask her what she was doing there.

"What's wrong Harry?" Dumbledore asked, ignoring the tension he felt in the air between the two students.

"My scar; it hurts, and it only does that when Voldemort's near." He said this looking at her, judging her reaction. Usually whenever mentioned Voldemort by name people would flinch and get uncomfortable. Harry was surprised when all she did was raise her eyebrows and stare right back at him.

"And Ileana; are you okay?" Dumbledore asked noticing the curious look Harry was giving her.

"Mine too," was all she said and saw Harry's questioning gaze. She looked away because she knew that Dumbledore would have to tell him who she really was. And she didn't want to see his reaction. Her father had killed his parents and had tried to kill him on more than one occasion. It was going to be really bad, she could tell.

"Harry," Dumbledore said quietly, "This is Lord Voldemort's daughter." At that Harry gasped and jumped away from her. He looked at her fearfully and backed up against the farthest wall. "It's alright, Harry. She isn't anything like her father." Dumbledore turned to Ileana and wondered if she would be willing to show Harry her own scar. "Show him, Ileana."

"You have a scar that Voldemort gave to you, right." Harry nodded fingering the scar on his forehead. Lifting up her shirt she showed him the skull that was burned into her skin. "He did this to me when I was barely a year old." She shuddered and sat down. "My scar never hurts unless he's thinking of me or you. I think he's finally found me after the twelve years I disappeared." Her voice wavered and she tried to steady it. "I don't want your feelings of him to cloud your judgment of me. I'm not responsible for his actions but I am sorry for both of our losses." Her voice became monotone and her body was numb.

"Ileana, are you okay?" Dumbledore asked as he and Harry stepped toward her.

"I-I can't believe that . . . after all of these years he's . . . alive, out there somewhere thinking of me . . . I just can't believe it." She said hugging herself tightly. She was pale and her face was blotchy. Ileana looked at Dumbledore and then Harry. "I am so sorry," they looked at each other puzzled before Ileana slumped in the chair in a dead faint.

For the second time, Ileana woke up in the hospital wing. But this time she wasn't alone; at the end of the bed stood Draco Malfoy, and his flunkies Crabbe and Goyle. They were looking at her in such awe that she wanted to throw up again. "Who let you weasels in?" Ileana said as she sat up with disgust. "What do you three want?"

"Is it true?" Malfoy asked. When she looked at him blankly he went on. "Are you really the Dark Lord's daughter?" he asked. Deciding she might as well have a little fun with him, she smiled.

"You mean Voldemort?" she asked innocently and smiled when all three of them flinched. "Oh, I'm sorry was I not supposed to say that?" she chuckled to herself.

"So you are his daughter," he said in an amazed voice. "How cool!"

"Cool!" Ileana screamed outraged that this boy would think that anything remotely evil was anything but cool. "How is being related to the most horrible person on the face of this earth cool!" she took a deep breath to calm herself and hopped out of bed. She came right up to Malfoy and got in his face to make her point clear. "Lord _Voldemort_ may have been my father but the resemblance stops there." She was shouting so loud that Madame Pomfrey came running to what all the commotion was. She shooed the boys out and made Ileana get back into bed.

She took her temperature and told her to get some more rest. It wasn't even the second week of school and she'd already been sent to the nurse two times already. That had to be some kind of school record. The next day she was able to go to her classes. But no one sat or came anywhere near her, even Fred. But that was because he was always being pulled away by one of his friends. But she didn't blame him if he'd changed his mind about wanting to ask her out.

She stepped into potions and sat in the very back to save everyone the trouble of avoiding her. She wasn't in her assigned seat but she doubted Snape would make her move and he didn't. He was another one who seemed to be avoiding her. She could have really used his company but she knew that he had changed and not for the better either. He used to be the one person that she knew would have been able to comfort her. But that was in the past and it wasn't going to happen anytime soon. After potions she went to Transfiguration. That was one of Ileana's favorite classes and it was one of the easiest. At least McGonagall didn't avoid her.

Next she went to Divination class and she was a little late. But Trelawney didn't seem to mind. She was too busy getting everybody interested in her phony predictions. The teacher was a fraud and Ileana could predict the future better than her; even without a crystal ball and tea leaves. She skipped lunch and her last three classes. She already knew the homework and the lesson they were going to teach. She finally went down to the common room and started working on the shrinking potion that Snape was going to assign the next day.

As she finished the essay and the potion, she realized that it was almost dinner time. Deciding it was time to stop starving herself over something she couldn't prevent she headed down to the Great Hall. When she got there, she sat at the very end of Gryffindor table and though to herself. To her great disappointment; Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George came and sat down around her. Before they could talk to her Dumbledore stood up and gave a small speech. As everyone clapped food appeared before them on plates. Ileana filled her plate and pretended to be fascinated by it. She really didn't want to talk to anyone right now. But, it turned out that, luck wasn't on her side this time.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked. She nodded and looked at her food. He tool this as encouragement and went on. "Are you sure 'cause you look a little pale." He pushed on which made her angry.

"Well maybe that's because everyone's been looking at me like I'm evil for the past day and a half." She snapped at him, making Fred smile behind his napkin. "You tell me if you'd be alright and then ask me that question." Looking back down at her food, she suddenly wasn't hungry anymore. She knew she had been a bitch, but, honestly, what did he expect her to say? "Sorry, I'm just not sleeping that well. I didn't mean to snap at you." They nodded their understanding and went back to eating. Excusing herself halfway through the meal she ran to the bathroom. Her scar was hurting again and her stomach didn't feel like it would hold her dinner. Splashing water on her face she prayed that she didn't throw up.

All of them had followed her into the girls' bathroom. Hermione came up to her while Ron, Harry, Fred and George stayed close to the door.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked. Ileana shook her head and clutched her stomach. "What's wrong? Are you sick?" Hermione was now wiping a damp paper towel across her face. Ileana gasped and doubled over. Fred and Harry rushed over and held onto her arms to keep her from falling. The moment that Harry had touched her, the vision had once again resurfaced. Ileana pushed away from them and into the stall as her dinner rushed up to meet her. Slumping against the stall wall, Fred wiped her forehead with a paper towel.

"Don't touch me again, please." Ileana said in a raspy voice as she looked at Harry. He looked at her confused she elaborated for his benefit. "Every time you touch me I have a vision of Voldemort." Harry nodded in understanding as Fred continued to wipe her forehead trying to comfort her.

"What happened to you at dinner?" Fred asked. "One minute you were eating . . . the next you were running out of the Hall." He felt her forehead and pulled his hand back quickly. "Bloody hell, you're freezing."

"It's just shock," Ileana said quietly. "Before now I hadn't seen or heard from my . . . from Voldemort." She shuddered. "And now I'm having visions of him left and right." She shook her head. "I left the Great Hall because my scar started to hurt again." She paused. "It only hurts when he's thinking of me or Harry."

"Who," Fred asked stupidly and Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. "Ouch . . . what was that for?" Hermione and Harry just shook their heads. Ileana laughed and Fred smiled. Then they headed up to Gryffindor tower to get a good night's rest. But when they got there Ileana's mouth dropped in shock. There, standing by the fire, was Sirius Black. Not only was he one of the people who helped her mother give her a new home; but he was also responsible for her mother's death. That was the last memory she had of her mother; her death. Backing out in apprehension she ran into the nearest classroom.

"No, not possible," she told herself. The man, Sirius, had been the reason her mother had died. He had taken pity on her whining ad crying for her mother that he had taken her to see her one last time. Unfortunately, that was the same day that Voldemort's followers had decided to retrieve her from her mother. They had shown up and Sirius had done nothing to stop them. They had stood outside the window as they had killed her mother. He was no better than a common criminal.

Falling to her knees, all she wanted to do was curl up and cry her eyes out. The past was coming back to haunt her, but it was happening all at once. Ileana was shaking and everything was going in and out of focus. The classroom door opened and Fred, Harry and Ron entered followed by Sirius. She stood up on shaky legs as Fred stepped towards her. But at the last minute she grabbed Fred's hand and ran into Gryffindor common room and up the stairs and into her room. Closing and locking the door behind Fred she sank to her knees leaning against the brown oak wood door.

"Ileana, what's wrong?" Fred asked sitting down beside her. He was a little uneasy about being in her room but she needed someone to talk to. Above her bed was a poster of an all girl band. And Fred was shocked to see that Ileana was the lead singer on the poster. Looking back at her he noticed that she was once again pale and shaking as if cold. Pulling her against his chest he wondered how much more heartache she could take before she broke down. Not much more he was certain about that. "Tell me what's wrong, please. I want to help." And he sat there all night listening to the last time she had seen her birth mother.

As she fell asleep, crying in his arms he sighed. Sirius didn't sound too good in Ileana's eyes, but there had to be more to the story. But he swore that he would stay out of it to Ileana. So if there was more to the story he just hoped that they got her to listen to it. Picking her up in his arms, bridal style, he laid her on her bed. Tucking her in he kissed her on the forehead. Perhaps the time had come to ask her out. But he didn't know when exactly when to ask. Girls were so tricky.

Ileana woke up with a start. She was still in her dormitory but . . . something felt weird. She got up and looked around the room but didn't find anything out of place. No one was there so she started to relax. She tiptoed to the bathrooms and took a nice long shower. She dressed and looked at the clock. It was almost time for potions so she headed to Snape's room. When she got there she handed him the essay and sat down next to Fred and George. She saw that Harry and Ron gave her apprehensive looks as she sat down. Snape told them to get to work on their potion so she went up to talk to him.

"Uh . . . professor?" she began.

"What is it Ileana?" he said with a sigh. He still wasn't sure what to make of the girl that was now a complete stranger to him now. But there was no mistaking that she was the spitting image of her mother; except for her eyes, she had her father's eyes.

"I was wondering if you needed any help making some potions?" she asked.

"Err . . . Okay, yeah, here's a list you can start on." He told her, looking at her suspiciously. She gave him a bright smile that stunned him and then she was back to her seat working on them. What to make of the girl, he had no idea. By the end of her two hour potions class, Ileana had made a total of twenty potions for him. And she was putting the label on the last one when the bell rang. She gathered the bottles, signaled for Fred to wait for her and went up to Snape.

"There you are," she said and handed him back his list back to him. "Thank you professor," she said and left Snape gaping after her. Ileana gave Fred a bright smile and he shook his head. She'd have Snape back as a friend before the end of the week. He was sure of it. Together they walked to Transfiguration class. Harry, Ron and Hermione were following close behind them, but she ignored them and enjoyed her favorite class. At the end McGonagall assigned a two parchment essay on how to become a registered Animagi.

In divination she got bored and fell asleep half way through the class. She had a dream, a nightmare really, that Sirius had taken her to Voldemort and they had together killed her. She woke up with a start as Professor Trelawney was dismissing the class. She waved Fred off to lunch and told him she'd see him later. Then she went to her afternoon teachers and asked for the homework. They gladly gave it to her and wished her luck on completing it. As she got to the Gryffindor common room she started her Trans. homework. After 30 minutes she completed it and started her Charms homework. It took her 40 minutes and she took both of the essays up to her room and tucked them into her bag for tomorrow.

As dinner approached she went down to the Great Hall. She sat between Neville Longbottom and Fred, to make sure no one else sat next to her. As she began to eat she felt a little better and was surprised when Snape approached and asked to speak with her. Telling Fred she'd see him later, she went to his office with him.

"Ileana," he began, "You have an amazing talent in potion making. I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me, every afternoon or at lunch." He said and Ileana smiled and nodded.

"I'd love to. How about everyday after dinner?" she asked and he nodded. "I love making potions. It's so easy and kind of fun." She grinned and then frowned. "Was there a certain reason you wouldn't speak to me after you learned who I am?"

"Yes, I don't know how much you remember but me and your mother . . ." he let his words drone off and Ileana sighed. She knew what he was getting at, and if she wasn't mistaken then he was embarrassed.

"You and Miranda had an affair. Yes I know," Ileana said and Snape's eyes snapped up to hers in shock. "I knew the moment you kept coming to see us. I always wished that you my dad instead of Voldemort. But beggars can't be choosers. You were good to Miranda and that's all I could have asked for." She sighed. "I'll see you tomorrow after dinner." Then she walked to the tower. On the way there she saw Harry and ran to her room quickly.

Knock, knock, knock; "Can I come in?" Harry asked through the door. "I need to talk to you." She didn't answer but she stood up and locked the door.

"Go away Harry. I don't want to talk right now." With that she laid down on her bed. After awhile he went away and she closed her eyes. She tossed and turned for a little while. But she eventually fell asleep dreaming of her mother and Uncle Snape.

"Sirius," Harry said to his godfather, "I think that she was afraid of you."

"Have you been able to talk to her yet?" he asked Ron, Harry and Hermione.

"No," Ron said gloomily. "Fred won't even say anything about it. Says he was sworn to secrecy. And Ileana finds any excuse she can to not be in the same room with us." Hermione and Harry nodded. "She's either with a teacher or locked in her room." All four of them, sighed their frustration.

"Exactly who is this girl anyways?" Sirius asked Hermione. Harry and Ron were now locked in a heated discussion about Quidditch. Hermione looked at him strangely.

"You don't know who she is?" when he shrugged she went on to explain. "Her name is Ileana Sear. She is seventeen years old, born on Halloween and was adopted by the Sears family." She looked at him seriously and said, "She's You-Know-Who's daughter." Sirius went pale as her words sunk in.

"I think I know why she's afraid of me." He said which caught the attention of the feuding boys. He looked into the fire as he told them the log ago story of a small little girl and her evil father.

Ileana dreamed of her mother, Miranda. She had long blonde hair the color of her own and startling green eyes that sparkled in the light. Ileana wished she had inherited her mother's eyes instead of Voldemort's. Miranda was holding a giggling Ileana in her arms. But her words made Ileana sit up in shock. "My lovely little Victoria Riddle,"

She awoke in such a hurry that she fell off of her bed. Wincing as she stood up and flexed her legs muscles, she was drawn back to the dream. Who the hell was Victoria? Was it . . . maybe she had had to change her name when the Sears had taken her in? Perhaps that's what the dream meant. Ileana walked to her full length mirror and stared at her reflection. She was the spitting image of her mother. Today everyone was going to the village of Hogsmeade. She had a brilliant idea, but . . . would Fred come with her?

Ileana walked downstairs after she had braided her hair and got dressed. No one was there so she took out the money her adoptive mother had given her and headed to Hogsmeade. When she reached the village, she went straight to the hair salon. She waited ten minutes and then it was her turn.

"I want it cut to halfway up my neck in short layers." She said. "And then I want to highlight it, but I'm not sure what colors to highlight my blonde hair." The hairdresser, a woman about twenty something nodded and thought for a minute. And then she snapped her fingers together.

"Here, darling," she said happy that she could make a suggestion. "How about we dye your hair a medium brown?" Ileana nodded and listened intently. "And then, since you want blonde, we'll do blonde highlights halfway down your hair and meet that with black highlights." Ileana looked at her and grinned.

"That sounds awesome, let's do it." Keeping her eyes shut the entire time Ileana hoped she was happy with the surprise that was to come. An hour later she opened her eyes and grinned. She looked really good in her new hairstyle. She looked older and more mature. She gave the hairdresser and extra tip and walked back to Hogwarts. To her immense relief, no one openly recognized her. She went up to the tower and into her room. And as she posed in front of the mirror, Fred knocked on the door. "Come in."

"Hey Ileana . . ." he stopped in mid-sentence as he caught sight of her. His mouth was open in amazement. Twirling she laughed at his stunned expression.

"You like," she asked, hoping he did. He nodded and then seemed to finally have found his voice.

"You look hotter; if that's possible." Fred said grinning. He hugged her and knew that she was beginning to lighten up. Maybe it was almost time to ask. But not right now, because she was just getting into a good mood. He wanted to ask her out when he was sure that she liked him and wanted to stay at Hogwarts with him.

"Thank you," she said giggling. Fred threw her a look that said he'd never heard her laugh before. Smiling she stopped hugging him and twirled again. "I don't know why but I'm just happy now. OMG, I have to go see Snape I forgot I was supposed to meet him." Fred smiled as she threw her robes over her blue jeans and red shirt.

"So everything's going alright with you and Snape?" Fred asked, wishing that he had more time with her. She stopped and looked at him with lovely eyes.

"I don't know I hope so. But I'll find out soon enough won't I?" she asked. Brushing a kiss on his cheek she ran down the steps and out of sight. Touching his cheek he really wished she'd give him a chance to kiss her for once. Sighing he made his way down to the Great Hall hoping to meet up with his twin and plan another prank on Filch.

Walking into Snape's room she saw he was surprised by her new hairdo but he didn't say anything about it. After about two hours of making potions with Snape she began to get tired and realized that it was almost an hour before dinner time. Together they had made 75 potions. They put the correct labels on each and then put them away.

"Thanks for letting me help, Professor." Ileana said smiling. He gave her a rare smile.

"What made you want a new hairdo?" he asked still smiling. She hesitated and then smiled again.

"I got tires of it and it . . ." she paused, "Well the truth is that it reminded me too much of Miranda. I don't know it was just depressing." Snape stood up and put an arm around her. Surprised she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"I haven't held you in over twelve years. I'd always thought of you as my own." She wrapped her arms around her "uncle" and took a deep breath. Things were beginning to unravel and she glad that they were. Pulling back Snape kissed her forehead and she had to wipe the tears of relief from her eyes. "Go on to dinner, you can stand to gain a few pounds." Laughing she left to go to the Great Hall. Very few people were there seeing as it was still early. Sitting at the top of Gryffindor table she looked around for Fred.

Just as she was about to relax, Draco Malfoy and his flunkies came up to the table. They looked at her awed and sat down beside her. "Um . . ." she hesitated. "What do you three want?"

"We were just admiring your hair. It looks nice like that." Draco said in what she thought was his sweet voice. She just about fainted when she realized he was flirting with her.

"Well thanks but you can't sit here. You're Slytherin and this is the Gryffindor table." She said with a forced smile. He scooted closer to her and her stomach jumped. "Uh . . . do you not speak English?" she said through clenched teeth. "I told you to leave." Draco scowled at her, but he moved back to his own table.

She breathed out a sigh of relief. What was Malfoy up to anyways? Just then everyone started filing into the Great Hall for dinner. She kept looking for Fred but she didn't see him at all throughout dinner. After dinner she was alone in the common room. Curling up in the arm chair she tried to keep her mind off of Malfoy. She finally exhausted herself and fell into a dreamless sleep; the warmth of the fire keeping her warm and cozy.

Harry and Sirius found Ileana curled up on an armchair. They decided to wait to talk to until she woke up. It didn't take long. When she opened her eyes, Harry jumped up and blocked the staircase and Sirius blocked the portrait. Her head swiveled to both of them before she jumped up. Her eyes were wide and she was pale. She backed up enough to keep them both in her vision. They didn't move but neither did she. She guessed that she was going to have to talk to Harry after all.

"What . . . what do you want?" she asked not liking being cornered at all.

"I just want to talk. We won't hurt you." He said stepping towards her. she stepped back matching him step for step.

"Only you. I'll talk to you." Ileana said. Harry looked at Sirius who nodded.

"Okay Sirius won't talk." Harry said. Ileana shook her head furiously.

"N-no!" she shouted. Ileana ran towards Harry and grabbed his arm. She dragged him up the stairs and into her room. She led him inside and then shut and locked the door. Then she turned back to Harry who was furious.

"What did you do that for?" he said crossing his arms. He glared at her and she glared right back.

"I don't appreciate being cornered, FYI." Ileana said putting her hands on her hips. "Now what did you want to talk about?" she asked calming down a little bit.

"Sirius is a good guy," she snorted when he said that. "It's true, he is!" Harry yelled. "And you know it's true. He saved your life." She laughed at him.

"Him a good guy . . . yeah, right," she laughed. "Sure he saved my life. But he sat there with me in his arms and watched my mother being murdered." She snarled. "He's no better than my no good father!" Harry lunged at her. she was too slow and he knocked her to the floor.

He stradled her and pinned her arms above her head. Then he glared ar her as she tried to throw him off of her. "Sirius is not at all like your father." He yelled. She managed to kick him off and sit up. "He couldn't save your mum because he under a Confundus spell." He whispered softly. She gaped at him in shock.

"I-I never knew. I'm s-so s-sorry." She gasped near tears. She looked away because tears slipped out. She got up and ran down to the common room. Harry didn't follow but Fred was there on the couch. She sat in the armchair so he wouldn't see her face. She cried silently as she gazed into the fire. Fred came and sat in the second armchair. She bowed her head as he looked at her.

"Do you want a shoulder?" he asked softly. She started to cry harder as she nodded. He stood up and tugged her into his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder and sobbed until she had no tears left. All the time Fred was rubbing her back and smoothing her hair. When she finally stopped crying, he held her until her breathing became normal. She gently pulled back and grabbed a tissue from the table. She wiped her nose and eyes. When she threw the tissue away she turned to Fred.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she patted his soaked shoulder. He gave her a small smile and lifted her chin so she would meet his eyes.

"Anytime," he said. She gave a weak smile and hugged him. Then she ran back up to her room. She gave a sigh of relief when she found it empty. She went to her bed and collapsed on it. Her physical strength wore out. As she drifted off to sleep she dreamed of Fred.

The next day was Sunday so there weren't any classes. Ileana slept in until about three o'clock when professor McGonagall came and woke her up. So, she finally went down to the common room, after changing into red capris and a black low swung halter top. No one was there so she sat by the fire lost in thought. Just then Fred came up behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders. She turned around to face him and gave a small smile. "Where is everyone?" she asked.

"They went to Hogsmeade." He said. "Are you okay?" he asked concerned about her.

"I'm fine, now." She said quietly. "Why didn't you go?"

"I wanted to make sure you were alright. So I decided to stay behind." She said with a shrug. She shook her head and smiled. He was so sweet. He smiled back at her.

"Thank you, but you missed your chance to go to Zonko's Joke Shop. I know how you and George are goof-offs." She grinned and he laughed. Then she got serious thinking about last night. "And thanks for last night. I really appreciated it." She said shyly. "Uh . . . are you hungry?"

"Yeah, want to go down to the Great Hall with me?" Fred asked, tugging her to her feet. She nodded and followed him out of the portrait. They sat down at Gryffindor table and ate in silence. It was lunch time and most of the students were at Hogsmeade eating lunch. After they had finished they went up to the deserted common room. They sat down on the couch together.

"So, how are you feeling?" Fred asked.

"Oh, I'm pretty good, thanks. And you?" Ileana asked a little nervous.

"Okay. Are you doing good in your classes?"

"Yeah, you should know. You're in all of them." She said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I guess I should, huh?"

"Well," Ileana said with a smile. "I've never been one for idle chit-chat." She looked at him and he smiled. "So how about telling me what's on your mind?"

"Well, I was wondering what was on your mind; so, how about you go first?" he suggested with a grin and she laughed.

"You are basically the only one that can make me laugh." She chuckled. "You truly are too good to be true." She smiled and looked at Fred in a new light.

"Friends?" he asked.

"Definitely," Ileana said and then paused. "More if you'd like,"

"Definitely, but I was supposed to ask you." He sounded so hurt that she laughed. He grinned at her and then pulled her onto his lap. Dipping his head he kissed her and she smiled. Blushing like crazy Ileana laughed. "Well, then, would you be my girlfriend?"

"I'll have to think about it," Ileana said trying to hold in her laughter. He kissed her again and then looked in her eyes.

"You bloody hell will not, thank you very much," he said laughing. Wrapping her arms around his neck she got a breath away from his lips and smiled.

"And what if I don't?" she asked breathless at her own daring. He cocked an eyebrow and slowly kissed her. It was longer but still brief, and it made Ileana dizzy. When he broke the kiss off she smiled at him so sweetly that Fred shook his head to clear it. "Yes, Fred Weasley, I'll be your girlfriend." Fred smiled and then sighed. "What's wrong?"

"Well a couple of things actually," he said laying his head back on the couch. Squirming around on his lap she managed to get into a comfortable position and lay her head next to his. "For starters I think my mum will be thrilled if she finds out."

"Oh, come on, your mom didn't seem that bad at the train station." Ileana said biting his lip. He scrunched up his nose which made her laugh. "I'd like to meet your family. They seemed nice enough."

"Well you don't know the half of it." Fred said with a chuckle. "Mum's been after me for months to get a 'good, strong-willed girlfriend.' Yeah she'll be thrilled. But I hope she doesn't take it to extremes." Ileana smiled and closed her eyes. "And the second thing is . . . how did I get such a good girlfriend?" Her eyes snapped open and she smiled.

"Just by being yourself, and you're not half bad looking." She paused and he held his breath. "Actually you're pretty damn cute." He smiled and kissed her again. She smiled and whispered, "I could get used to this." Fred grinned and then a thought hit him.

"You've never been kissed before, have you?" he saw her blush and couldn't believe a smart and beautiful girl like Ileana had never been kissed before; but she had chosen him and that was a sucker puncher right there. He had to be careful and go slow with her. His mother would kill him if he lost her. Giving her a quick kiss he sat up and she fell onto the couch. Laughing, he had forgotten that she had been on his lap.

"That wasn't nice," Ileana said sitting up and fixing her hair. It was unbelievably hot since she had got it cut. Laughing Ileana rubbed his head and messed up his hair. He pouted and looked at the time. It was about nine o'clock.

"Bedtime, brat," Fred said as he picked her up. She gave a muffled squeal and laughed. As he deposited her onto her bed, he saw her close her eyes and groaned. He should have realized that she was tired. By the time he had shut the door Ileana had already fallen asleep.

Ileana went top potions class with Fred. All through the lessons they kept giving each other small smiles. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at them puzzled. When the class finished they walked to Transfiguration together. In class they sat next to each other. Ileana helped him with his pronunciation and he helped her with her wand movements. When it was finally lunch time, Fred talked her into eating with him in the Great Hall. All through they lunch they talked about all sorts of odds and ends. And then they walked to Divination together, hand-in-hand. She all but ignored the teacher because her eyes were locked on Fred. He was softly snoring in the other corner of the class.

At the end of class, Harry, Ron and Hermione held Fred back so Ileana went to Charms and got her homework. Then she headed up to the common room. She spent two hours on the Charms h/w before she headed down to the Great Hall for dinner. Fred waved her over and she sat down in between Fred and George. "Hey, Ileana," George said as she started to eat. She turned her attention to him. "I heard you're dating Fred, but I don't believe it." She laughed.

"We're going out; you can take my word or it." She said giving Fred a beaming smile. George shook his head.

"I can't just take your word for it. I have to see it with my own to eyes." He said barely containing his laughter. Raising her eyebrows she got an idea that would shock the pants off of him. Leaning over she kissed Fred lightly on the lips and heard George start to choke.

"Good enough for you?" Ileana said thumping George on the back so he wouldn't choke. She was grinning from ear to ear. Fred was laughing his head off as well as the other Gryffindor students that had witnessed what happened. Not many people could shock the twins, but she had.

"You really are dating him then?" George asked, shocked that his twin had actually been telling the truth. And at the same time glad that his twin had found a good girlfriend at last. Ileana nodded and he caught the look of adoration on her face before she looked away. He was the first one who could tell the difference between them in an instant. Even their mother had a little trouble telling them apart sometimes.

"Hey, I have to go help Snape with some potions," Ileana said as lunch was almost over. Kissing his cheek she stood up. "Will you wait for me or go on to bed?" Fred grinned and she knew his answer. He'd be waiting for her, of course. "See you later George." She said with a wave. Stepping into the potions class she sighed. Snape was sitting at his desk waiting for her. he seemed to have something on his mind. But he always waited until after they were finished so she started on the list. When she had finished she yawned and stretched her arm muscles.

"Hey Ileana," Snape said making her pause as she gathered her things. "Can I ask you a question." Since he seemed so serious about it, she nodded her head. "Is that Weasley kid, uh Fred, you're boyfriend." Nodding her head a little slower than normal she wondered what he was worried about. "Good, he's a good kid. But Malfoy has been saying you're his girlfriend just to let you know."

"He is seriously asking for an ass-kicking," Ileana said with a glare. Snape smiled as saw the proof evident on her face. She truly wasn't going to be anything like her father or her mother for that matter. "I'll see you tomorrow morning Uncle Snape." She walked out and didn't realize that she had let her nickname for him slip. Fred was asleep on the couch when she reached the common room. She sat down next to him and put her head on his shoulder. Closing her eyes, she was asleep within minutes. Fred woke up and put an arm around her form to keep her warm and comfortable and then he fell back to sleep.

Harry and Hermione found them on the couch asleep together. They looked at each other and back at Fred and Ileana. So George had been telling the truth. Fred and Ileana were going out. Harry gently woke up Fred and said it was almost time for class. Then Hermione and Harry went to find Ron and go to class. Fred woke Ileana up who smiled. She went up to her room to get dressed. When she came down Fred was waiting for her. She held his hand and walked to potions. Snape wasn't there, but McGonagall was substituting for him. They didn't have any work to do because she couldn't find the lesson plan.

"So, have you told your parents yet?" Ileana asked Fred as he threw a wadded up piece of paper at Ron. Ron threw it back but it her instead. Picking it up she threw it at Fred to get his attention. He turned to her looking innocent. "I know you heard me, so have you?"

"Aw, come on, can't I enjoy us before my mum ruins it." Ileana leaned over and smacked him on the arm, pretty hard. Harry and Hermione laughed, but Ron was busy writing a letter to someone. "What was that for? I didn't do anything."

"The way you're not telling your mother says that you don't want her to know about me. Or that you're ashamed of me." She looked away as that thought made her eyes water. She heard Fred groan and Hermione scolding him for not telling his mom sooner. Then Fred leaned over and turned her around, and felt really bad when he saw the tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'll tell my mum right after dinner tonight, alright?" he asked hating that he had hurt her. Man was he ever going to be a good boyfriend to her? She nodded and looked over at Harry. He gave her a friendly look, but one that looked forced. As the bell rang to end class, Ileana's scar started to hurt. Instead of tell anyone she kissed Fred on the cheek and said that she'd see him later. He asked what was wrong but she had said that she was tired and that was all.

She went to the common room and sat down in front of the fire. As if sensing her mood the lights dimmed and the only light was that of the fire. She was surprised when Fred sat down beside her. Looking at him he shrugged. "I thought something was wrong, so I skipped class to find you." He said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Is there something wrong?"

"Yeah," she said hesitantly, "My scar started to hurt, but worse this time." She broke off with a grimace and clutched her stomach. She was surprised when Fred lifted her up and onto his lap. Looking at him she smiled.

"You trust me, don't you?" Fred asked and she nodded instantly. He smiled and she felt his hand slip under her shirt to land on her scar. She gave a slight jump but kept completely still. As he began to massage her stomach gently she sighed and leaned her head back on his shoulder.

"You are the best, you know that right?" Ileana whispered against his cheek. "I don't understand how I got such a good guy." Fred leaned down and gave her a long slow kiss. When he pulled back she sighed contently and closed her eyes again. She didn't want this moment to end. Snuggling closer to him she let her mind go blank.

Fred gently nudged Ileana awake. She looked at him and then at her dark surroundings. It was dinner time already. "Oh," she said groggily, "Did I fall asleep?" she got up and swayed until Fred put his arms around her waist to steady her. She smiled up at him. "Did you want to go get something to eat?" she asked yawning.

"Uh, no, you look like you'd fall over while eating." She giggled. "I'll help you up to your room." She gave him an appreciative smile. He put an arm around her waist and led her up the stairs and into her room. He sat her down on the bed and gave her a quick kiss.

"Goodnight," she yawned pulling the covers over herself.

"Goodnight," he said backing out of the room and shutting the door quietly. She had fallen asleep in his arms with his hand up her shirt. She was far too innocent for her own good. He was a decent guy and respected her, but he shuddered to think if it hadn't been him with her tonight.

It was almost Christmas time so Dumbledore had granted another Hogsmeade visit today. Ileana woke up and got dressed. As she went down to the common room she pondered what to get Fred for Christmas. "Hey, Ileana," Fred said coming up behind her and giving her a hug, "Feeling better now?" she nodded and leaned back against him. "Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?" she turned around and nodded. She went and got her money and walked down to the village hand-in-hand with Fred. On the way there, Malfoy came up to them. He scowled at Fred and turned to Ileana.

"Hey Ileana," he smiled, "How about hanging out with me today?" he held out his arm and she forced a smile on her face.

"If you recall all the other invitations you've given me," she said pausing. "You'll know my answer. Good-bye." She walked away leaving the dumb struck guy in a state of awe again. Fred was once again amazed that she could blow Malfoy off without saying anything mean or threatening. "Oh the nerve of that pig head." She said in a very peeved voice. "I think that bleach in his hair had leaked into his brain." She pouted which made Fred laugh.

"It's okay," Fred said laughing, "Malfoy's always been a pig head." She smiled and squeezed his hand. Just then she caught sight of Hermione, Harry and Ron. They were waving them over to a store. They spent the whole day shopping and making sure that everyone didn't see the gifts they had bought. Ileana bought a lot of things: Ileana and Hermione spent the next two day s wrapping presents while they waited for Christmas break to begin. The only bad thing was that she wouldn't be able to Fred. But that problem fixed itself.

On Sunday morning an owl came to deliver her a letter. Surprised, she took the letter and put it in her pocket for later. Going down to breakfast, for the first time this year she sat with her friends. When the letter poked her, she took it out and opened it up:

Ileana dropped the letter on the table and turned shocked eyes to Fred. He looked at her and then grabbed the parchment. Reading it quickly he groaned and put his head in his hands. Ron and Ginny looked at Fred and then at Ileana puzzled at their behavior. "What's wrong Ileana?" Ginny asked. She liked her brother's new girlfriend, she was nice and funny and she actually didn't ignore her.

"Your mom just invited me home for Christmas and she welcomed me to the family." Ileana said as she turned to Fred. "What exactly did you tell your mother about me?" Fred shrugged and moaned again. Christmas was going to be hell incarnate.

Looking up at the Weasley's house, Ileana smiled. It was everything that she had expected it to be. It was a three story house with light blue shutters and a homey feeling. As Fred put an arm around her, she got nervous. What would they think of her; did they know she was Voldemort's daughter; would she be able to relax around them? She had dressed up special for this day. She was wearing a black frilly skirt that went to mid-thigh, a pink tank-top with a black lace sweater over it. And to top it off she was also wearing her knee high black boots. With them on she was still about three inches shorter than Fred was.

Looking over at Ileana he saw that she was biting her lip and he could sense that she was getting nervous. Grabbing her hand he brought it to his lips which made her focus on him. "Don't worry, they'll love you." She smiled and hooked an arm through his. He grinned at her and led her into his house. This was going to be a long Christmas vacation. Just as they came through the door, his mother and father appeared. He grinned and hugged his mother and then his father. When he pulled back all eyes were on Ileana. "Oh, dear, you are so pretty." His mother said giving Ileana a hug.

"Uh, thank you," Ileana said as she hugged Mrs. Weasley back. When she let go she blushed even harder. His mother's compliment made her feel good about herself. Looking at Mr. Weasley she smiled and extended her hand.

"I've heard a lot about you," he said shaking her hand and giving her a friendly smile. She gave him a curious look and he went on. "Although not from Fred like you'd think. Ginny, Ron and George have told me a lot about you. It seems you won the heart of all the Weasley family." He chuckled as she blushed prettily. He could see why Fred was so interested in her. He just hoped that his son didn't screw it up.

"I hope the trip here wasn't so bad?" Mrs. Weasley asked, taking her bags and Apparating them up the stairs.

"No the trip was okay, Mrs. Weasley. But it was kind of chilly." Ileana said leaning against Fred wishing she could fall asleep. The train ride had been very cold and boring. But she hadn't been able to sleep, so now she was dead tired.

"Oh, none of this 'Mrs. Weasley' nonsense," she said, "You can call me Molly, dear." She said smiling brightly.

"Okay Molly," Ileana said giving an exhausted smile. "Do you think I could bug you to show me to a room? I think I'm going to pass out if I don't get to sleep soon." Molly nodded and looked at Fred.

"I put her in your room for the time being." Molly said giving him a stern look. Ileana was surprised that his mother wasn't worried about them sharing a room together. "I trust that I didn't misplace my trust." Her voice and look brooked mo argument on what she was talking about. As Fred lead her into his room, he was glad for once that his mother had tidied up for him.

"We obviously can't share the same bed," Fred said, pulling a sleeping bag from his closet and arranging it on the floor. Ileana gave a sigh and leaned heavily on the door frame, watching Fred work. When he had made a makeshift bed he turned to her and his eyes softened. "Come on, let's get you into bed." He led her to the bed and she looked at him confused. "What you didn't think I'd make you sleep on the floor did you?" he smiled and tucked her into his bed. Kissing her forehead he felt her arms go around him.

"Your mom and dad are nice," she said, tears welling up in her eyes. Fred pulled back and sat down, hugging her. He knew that he was probably the only one that had seen her cry, and it humbled him considerably.

"They're nice and that's why you're crying?" Fred asked softly. He knew that she had had a rough life but he didn't imagine that a small dose of his parents could resort her to tears. As the tears fell in two streaks across her face Fred wondered if he could ever make her pain go away. He'd certainly try as hard as he could.

"It's just that they know I'm . . . they know I'm Voldemort's daughter and they're okay with it." He nodded, encouraging her to continue. He was glad that he could offer her a shoulder to cry on and the time to listen to her as a confidant. "And they welcomed me into their family no questions asked. And that's so . . . that's not something I'm accustomed to." Ileana said burying her face into Fred's shoulder. He was the most incredible man she had ever met. And it made her happier than he knew to know that he liked her.

"I'm more accustomed to being thrown out on my ass because of my past. Or people have even refused to serve me or pay attention to me once they learn my secret." Fred's heart broke for the scared girl that was lost somewhere inside of the young woman in his arms. "You're parents didn't care. They want to get to know me, the real me." She looked at him and gave a half smile. "Your mother gave me a hug." Fred laughed and hugged her again. As she relaxed he kissed her forehead and prepared to get into his sleeping bag. But she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Will you sleep beside me? I can't sleep anymore with what happened with Sirius and . . . and Harry." Ileana looked at him and saw that he wanted to but . . . his mother would never allow it. "Never mind," Ileana said smiling at him. "I'll live and maybe being away from Hogwarts I will be able to get some sleep. Goodnight." Fred could tell that she wasn't okay but there wasn't anything he could do about it. He wanted nothing more than to crawl in bed with her and sleep beside her through the night.

"I'm going to get some more blankets, do you want anything?" he asked trying to make her feel comfortable and safe; even if he couldn't lie down with her. She shook her head and he could tell that she was scared. He knew that her dreams were more than likely what was keeping her up. Going into the hallway, he saw that his mom and dad were waiting for him by the door. Raising an eyebrow he approached them cautiously. His mother was the first to speak.

"For goodness sakes," she said in a voice that said she was about to cry, "Go in there and comfort the poor girl." Fred's eyes widened and he wondered what alternate reality he had stepped into. His mother looked at him seriously and spoke again. "Go in there, and crawl into bed with her. You can't just lay there on the floor and do nothing." Fred shook his head in disbelief; who was this woman and where was his real mother? "Mind, you had better be on top of the covers and she under them." Ah, that was his mother.

"Alright, I know she needs me right now, but" he paused and his father couldn't help but notice that Fred's behavior was more mature. The young woman was more than changing Fred; she was helping him as he was helping her. "I just wanted to respect your rules, for once." He added under his breath. As he walked back into the room he saw that Ileana was still pretending ot be asleep. Crawling into bed he wrapped his arms around her and the blankets that covered her. He felt her stiffen for an instant and then relax.

"I thought you weren't going to sleep beside me?" Ileana mumbled as she felt sleep gnaw at her conscious. Fred kissed her head and she felt him shrug his shoulders. Closing her eyes she relaxed against him and wondered when the last time was that she had felt this safe. In Fred's arms she felt as if nothing could ever harm her again.

"Let's say my parents were highly ticked that I didn't crawl in here with you in the first place when you asked." She felt the laughter in his voice and turned into his embrace. She felt his breath tickle her nose as they relaxed facing each other. And they fell asleep, each of them thinking of the other and their future.

"Hey sleepy head," Fred said nudging Ileana awake with his elbow. She stirred and moaned her complaint. Wrapping his arms back around her, she snuggled into him and he laughed. "Come on sleeping beauty, it's Christmas Eve." Ileana opened her eyes and gave Fred a sleepy smile. She had slept amazingly last night in his arms. She hadn't dreamed of anything but him and her. Wrapping her arms around him she closed her eyes and groaned.

"I don't want to get up," Ileana said brushing a kiss on his neck. He laughed and kissed her forehead. Looking up at him she caught a glance at the clock and realized that it was 2:00 in the afternoon. Scrambling out of bed she started searching for her clothes bag. Fred came up behind her and pointed it out, and then he kissed her cheek and said he'd be downstairs waiting for her. When he left, she got dressed in a strapless red shirt with a dark green sweater wrap over it, and dark brown pants that hugged her hips. Putting on her brown combat boots she headed downstairs.

"Hey Ileana," Ginny said coming out of the room that was next to Fred's. Ileana smiled as they walked into the kitchen together. Sitting at the table she rubbed her eyes to try and wake up. A mug of coffee was sat in front of her and she looked up into the face of Mr. Weasley.

"Thought you might need to get some caffeine in your system," he said sitting down on the chair opposite hers. Nodding her head she took a sip of the coffee and felt herself begin to wake up immediately. Smiling at him she saw that he was looking at her for some reason. "You've changed a lot since the last time I saw you." His announcement had her pausing to try and remember if she had ever met him. Drawing a blank she looked at him confused. "I was the one who put you in the Sears family. And I was required to do a yearly check up to see how you were doing."

"Wait a minute;" Ileana said something just dawning on her, "You're that annoying mailman that was way too personal, always asking for way too much information." She blushed when she realized what she had said. "Sorry its just that they don't usually do that."

"No apology required," Mr. Weasley said smiling at her embarrassment. "But you have changed since I last talked to you in August. Not just your hair, which is nice by the way, but you're more relaxed." He nodded as if confirming his own suspicions. "It's in your walk and they way you talk. You seem more open and . . ." he droned off realizing that she was trying not to laugh. "What?"

"I am more relaxed and I'm glad you noticed, I think," Ileana said laughing at the way a total stranger knew her and understood her. "But did you have to pose as a mailman? Did you know I was always arguing with my mom about who would go out and get the mail? You were . . . odd, Mr. Weasley, no offense meant." He shook his head and returned her smile.

"That's okay, none taken. But, do call me Arthur. 'Mr. Weasley' makes me sound old." She nodded and that's when three men that she didn't know walked into the kitchen all chatting noisily. They stopped immediately when they caught sight of Ileana. Then they all turned to Arthur and waited for an introduction. "Oh, right, Ileana this is Percy," the one with curly reddish hair and glasses, "and this is Charlie," the one with short red hair and a dragon tattooed on his upper arm, "and this is Bill," the on with long black hair pulled back into a pony tail and a skull earring in his right ear, "they're Fred's older brothers."

"It's nice to finally see my brother has good taste in women," Bill said and smiled when she blushed prettily. Yeah, his brother had found a keeper, he was sure of that. "It's nice to meet you though."

"You too, uh, Bill?" she said uncertain of how she should act. He flashed her a smile and she relaxed. Brushing a hand through her hair she realized that she must look like a Goth. Then Percy stepped forward with a different look on his face. She got a bad feeling about this one.

"It's nice to see that my brother has any taste at all," Percy said eyeing her like she was a piece of unwanted garbage. "But considering whom you are, I'm surprised you can live with yourself." Ileana's eyes widened and then she felt hot tears skim her cheeks. Angry that she had let that comment get to her, she ran from the kitchen and outside. She didn't know where she was going but she ended up standing at the edge of a cliff. Staring out at the scenery around her she let the tears flow because she could no longer stop them. What was wrong with her that Percy didn't like her so instantly? Sitting down and letting her feet dangle off of the ledge she closed her eyes. When was she going to learn that not everyone waited to judge her when they met her?

"Ileana," Charlie and Bill sat down on either side of her. She looked straight ahead and ignored them. She hated crying in front of other people. Only Fred was the one she felt comfortable confiding in. "Percy was . . . an asshole. We all know you're a good person. Otherwise Fred would never have brought you home." Bill said wondering how he could comfort the young woman before him. Charlie threw an arm around her and she stiffened then relaxed and then Bill smiled.

"I don't know what got into Percy, Ileana," Charlie said as he watched the tears cascade down her beautiful face. "I shiver when I think of what Fred will do when he finds out. I know if it was Angel I'd kill him for what he said." Charlie said thinking of his own girlfriend who was arriving later today.

"Yeah I'd kill him too if he'd said that to Jocelyn," Bill said thinking of his girlfriend who was also arriving later in the day. Ileana looked at them and made her tears stop. "Actually I shudder to think what mum and dad will do to him. They've taken a liking to you." Ileana smiled and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. When Bill and Charlie relaxed and laid down on the grass Ileana heard Fred's voice from inside the house: "You did what!"

"Oh, yeah, Percy is so toast." Charlie said standing up and helping Bill and Ileana to their feet. Just then Fred came out of the house and looked around for her. "That's your cue to go tell him you're alright and convince him that anything our parents will do to Percy won't be enough." Ileana giggled and ran over to Fred. He caught her in a hug and wrapped his arms around her tightly. She buried her head in his shoulder and took a deep breath.

"I'm so sorry; Percy was . . . I don't know. He was an asshole." Fred said, angry that Percy had even thought anything like that about Ileana. But she was oddly calm and she didn't seem too upset, why? "Are you okay," he asked tipping her chin up. He could tell she had been crying but she wasn't now.

"Yeah, Bill and Charlie talked to me. They're really nice, you know," Ileana said laying her head back down on Fred's shoulder. Fred nodded and looked up at his older brothers gratefully. They smiled and winked, and Fred blushed. Bill and Charlie had never been ones that approved of the girls he had dated before. Just the fact that they had comforted Ileana proved that they liked his choice. And he was thankful, because even if his family hadn't approved he still would have seen her. This way was better because he wouldn't get into trouble now. Just then they heard their mother's voice raised in anger: "Percy Weasley how could you say such a thing to Ileana!"

Stirring in her sleep Ileana turned over and her head bumped into Fred's. They both moaned and sat up, but Ileana kept her eyes averted. The dream had come back, the one where Sirius had taken her to Voldemort and then she woke up before they killed her. Shaking from the memory, Ileana got out of bed and walked to the window. After Percy had been thoroughly scolded by every family member, Bill and Charlie's girlfriends had shown up and yelled at him too. Then Angel and Jocelyn had taken her outside and they had talked for hours. They talked about the Weasley family and then Hogwarts and they had shared their own experiences there before they had graduated.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Fred asked coming to stand behind her. She had been tossing and turning for the last couple of hours, since midnight. Hugging her form behind, he kissed her bare shoulder where her tank top wasn't covering. She was still staring outside and he started to get worried. "Ileana, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said turning around and looking up into his worried eyes. She had been going out with him for over two months now and it was the best time in her life. But not even he could stop her nightmares; she doubted that anyone could. Seeing his hurt look that she wouldn't open up, she laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. "I had a nightmare, that's all." Fred tightened his hold on her and kissed the top of her head.

"Was it the one with Sirius again?" she nodded and he sighed. He should have known that she was upset about something. "But you trust him, don't you? Now that you know he's a good guy and he would have saved Miranda if he'd been able to?" Ileana nodded and closed her eyes against the memory of Miranda.

"Did you know that my name used to be Victoria?" Ileana asked Fred and he shook his head. "I dreamt of Miranda and she called me her darling little Victoria. And I asked Snape if it was true and he said it was." She looked up at Fred and saw that he was listening intently. God, she loved him for that. But she wasn't sure he'd want to know that she loved him; at least not yet. "Don't you see, it was a vision I had. Not a dream or a nightmare. Snape said that I always had the power to see into the future through my dreams. I have no choice but to have visions when I sleep. Everything I see in my dreams comes true."

"So you think that Sirius really will take you to Voldemort?" Fred asked, hating the name on his lips. But being around Ileana he had gotten used to hearing it and didn't mind it that much now. Ileana nodded and then sighed. "But he wouldn't . . . I know he wouldn't."

"I know and that leaves only one explanation." She paused and looked up at him to show that she really did believe Sirius's innocence. "Voldemort has to have been controlling him somehow." Fred nodded at her reasoning and pulled her back towards the bed. They would discuss it back at Hogwarts.

"Merry Christmas everyone," Mr. Weasley said, kissing his wife and gesturing towards the living room. The whole Weasley family and Ileana walked into the room that was filled with presents as they talked excitedly. Ileana didn't really like Christmas all that much because the Sears were always traveling, without her and never got her anything for the holidays. As Fred sat on the couch he pulled her down onto his lap. Giggling she snuggled against him and watched as Molly and Arthur went through the presents. "Alright here's what we're going to do." Everyone's attention was on him.

"We're going to find everyone a present that's theirs and then we're going to open them together." As they passed them out, Ileana was shocked to find that she had one as well. Looking down at the neatly wrapped box in her hands she wondered who it was from. Fred's gift looked conspicuous like the one she had wrapped. And looking at the name tag she realized it was the one she got him. He gave her a grin and shook it lightly. She batted his arm and threatened to take it away if he didn't behave. He pretend pouted and then smiled. "Alright everyone, open your first present,"

Ileana opened the neatly wrapped box and gasped at what she saw. Sitting in glass case was a single red rose, frozen in time, with the initials F.W.& I.S. engraved on its stem. Looking at Fred she blushed and then kissed him lightly on the lips. "Thanks, it's beautiful." Jocelyn and Angel gasped and stared in envy when Molly asked to see what her son had got her. Bill and Charlie exchanged sly glances. Their brother was growing up fast, and maturing along the way.

"Well, I will say one thing," Molly said looking at Fred with adoring eyes. "He sure knows how to surprise us all." Everyone nodded and Fred blushed and looked down sheepishly. The next round was up and Ileana was again surprised that she again had a present to open. When everyone opened their second present Ileana opened hers. It was a lavender tank top with a silver overthrow. Looking at Ginny she smiled; Ileana had been there when she had bought it. Now she knew who she had bought it for. The third round, Ileana got a pair of lace up black boots from Hermione back at Hogwarts.

The fourth she got a pair of diamond earrings from Harry who was also back at Hogwarts. Then she got a knitted blue sweater from Fred's mom and a pocket watch from his father. The next present brought a sound of surprise from deep in her heart. Fred looked at her questioningly and she held up the photo so he could see. It was a picture of Miranda holding a baby Ileana and smiling into the camera. It was from Snape and there was a letter too:

Fred looked shocked to know that Snape actually had a heart. Rolling the scroll back up Ileana went on to her next present. It was from Dumbledore, and it brought tears to her eyes. His present was a small necklace with a triquatra on it suspended in gold. It was the same necklace that she had seen Miranda wear in the photographs that she owned. Putting it around her neck she felt it grow warm at the initial touch and then it lay quietly between her breasts. Smiling she turned to her next present.

After all the presents had been opened, Mr. Weasley came over to her and asked to speak with her in private for a minute. She followed him into the kitchen and just about fainted from shock. There sitting at the table was Sirius Black. Sitting down on the opposite side of him she looked at Arthur as he left them alone. Swallowing hard she took a shaky breath. "I had a present for you, but I thought I'd deliver it in person." She nodded and wondered why he had gotten her a present. Handing her a wrapped package Sirius looked at the young woman before him. She was astoundingly like her mother, but at the same time nothing like her.

Opening the gift Ileana felt her heart seize up with joy and fear at the same time. Looking at Sirius he smiled gently and took her hand in his. "But how did you . . ." she broke off looking at the box of photographs in her hands.

"Your mother wanted them to be given to you when you reentered the wizarding world." He nodded as she looked at him in surprise and sorrow. Ileana looked at him and didn't, for once in her life, know what to say.

"You . . . how did you get these?" Ileana still hadn't looked at any of them but she knew instantly that they were of her and Miranda and Voldemort. Sirius took her hands in his and hoped that she would eventually be able to look at them without any pain. But he knew that that day was not going to be an easy one.

"Miranda gave them to me the day I took you to see her for the last time." Sirius said trying his best to keep his emotions hidden. "She said that one day you would want to know who you family was and this as the only way she could think of. They're not just of you and your parents, but of your mother's family as well and her close friends." Ileana nodded because she didn't know what else to say to him. "I'll leave you to do whatever you want to." He got up and Apparated out of the house. Ileana took the box of pictures back into Fred's room. There she sat on the bed and dumped the contents. Then she took a deep breath. Wizarding pictures were alive and moved.

"Miranda," Ileana said as she picked up a picture of a blonde haired girl in Hogwarts robes. She as smiling and laughing at something her parents said. The next one gave her pause, "Voldemort?" it was of a boy in Hogwarts robes waving at the person who was taking the picture, but he looked . . . cute and nice. The next was of a small Ileana being held in the arms of Miranda as Voldemort tickled her feet while looking at the camera. Tears fell silently down her cheeks as she surveyed her family. What it once was anyways. The next was of Voldemort holding her up high as she giggled looking down at her father. They could have passed for a normal family, but Ileana knew better than to think that. They were far from anything normal.

The next one made her tears fall faster than ever. It was of Miranda and Voldemort hugging one another. But what made it special was that Miranda as obviously pregnant and they were happy. Ileana wondered when exactly Voldemort had turned evil or if he always was. "Ileana," Fred's voice brought her back from her reverie. He looked at her in concern and then at the pictures. "What are those?"

"Pictures . . . of Miranda, Voldemort and me." She said scooping them back into the box and wiping her eyes. Fred sat down and put an arm around her shoulder. Looking at Fred she wondered if she would ever be as happy as she was with him. "They seemed so . . . happy. It's like nothing else in the world mattered as long as they were with each other." She paused and looked back up at him. "They're strangers in those pictures. The little memories I have are of fights and arguments between them; of people angry and storming around. Miranda was crying; Snape was always coming over to take me away while Voldemort and Miranda hashed it out."

"Maybe at one time he did love you, he did want to be with Miranda and you." Fred said, knowing it was more than likely true the moment he said it. Ileana nodded and he put the box on the floor and laid her down on the bed. Laying down beside her, he pulled her into his arms. She sighed and wrapped her arms around him tightly. He loved that she was always so trusting.

"I'm beginning to wonder when he became evil. Or when he stopped loving me and Miranda." Ileana said kissing Fred's neck thinking out loud. Fred smiled and kissed her back. Then a thought struck him; a question that had been on his mind for more than a couple of days now.

"Why do you call your mom Miranda and not . . . uh, mom?" Fred asked, he felt her sigh and knew it was something she did deliberately. He had thought as much but one could never be sure; about anything.

"I have a mom and dad. Their names are Maria and Tim Sears. They gave me a wonderful home up until I turned 11 and my powers started to appear. Now, I just don't have anyone I would want to call mom or dad. But Miranda and Voldemort are definitely not my parents in my heart." Fred nodded and kissed her cheek affectionately. She had an answer for everything and he loved her for it. But she didn't need anymore trouble so he couldn't tell her that he loved her, when he was pretty sure she didn't love him back.

"I know that's how you feel, but don't you think you should give Miranda some credit?" he instantly regretted the question. Her eyes narrowed and flashed with anger. She pushed away from him and crossed her arms.

"Miranda was no better than Voldemort was," Ileana said turning away from him, not knowing how he could vouch for Miranda. He didn't approach her and she was grateful for that. She would push him away if he tried to touch her right now. "I know all of the stories there are about what she did with her husband."

"Ileana I'm sorry but don't you think its been long enough to hold a grudge against her?" Fred said looking at her back. He knew that she wouldn't want to be touched right now, but it still hurt him that she was upset and didn't want him to help or offer up any advice. "Aren't you just a little curious as to why she gave you up instead of keeping you with her and Voldemort?"

"I know why, I've always known why." Ileana said with a harsh voice. She really didn't want to talk about it, but she had to make him understand. "She gave me away so I would be loved and grow up in home that taught the morals of wrong and right, good and evil." Ileana walked to the window and kept her back to him. "She didn't want me to be corrupted by her and Voldemort."

"But she was still your mother." Fred said trying to reason with her. He saw Ileana's shoulders stiffen with anger once again.

"No, Victoria was her daughter," Ileana said with such anger and hate in her voice that Fred didn't recognize it as hers. "Victoria died the day she gave me away to complete strangers. And Ileana was born with the love of the Sears family. My mother is right now on vacation; Maria raised me and loved me as her own daughter. She is my mother, not Miranda. And nothing you can say will change my mind, so just drop the damn subject."

"Ileana," Fred walked towards her and saw her stiffen. Dropping his outstretched hand to his side he walked out of the room. Ileana let the tears fall down her cheeks and, felt herself go numb. What had she just done?

Christmas vacation was officially over and they were all back at Hogwarts to go back to classes. Ileana was ashamed to say that she avoided Fred whenever she could, and she knew that he was also avoiding her. so it broke her heart to know that she had ruined the one good thing she ever had in her life. In her room, during lunch, Ileana got out the box of pictures that Sirius had given her. Sorting through them, she hung various pictures around her room. Most of them were of Voldemort and Miranda looking happy and like a normal family. Sitting down on the bed she let out a sigh and the tears came back. A hand landed on her shoulder and she jumped. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine," she said wiping the tears from her eyes and looking into the face of Sirius. He cocked an eyebrow.

"You know, you suck at lying." She narrowed her eyes and wondered what he was doing in her room.

"Oh, like you're any better?" she wiped her nose and sniffed her disapproval.

"Yeah, I'm not a very good liar." Sirius said sitting on the bed next to Ileana. "But I do open up to people every once in a while." With that her chin dropped to her chest as she realized that he was right; she was being a jerk about nothing. He lifted her chin up and smiled lightly. "What's wrong?"

"It's a girl problem," she said as a warning. He smiled and nodded his head informing her that she could continue. "I may have been a little harsh to Fred. And now he won't talk to me, and it hurts." She broke off as it became harder to talk. Her throat was closing up with unshed tears and sorrow. Sirius wanted to ring the kid's neck for making her cry like she was now. "It's my fault; we started to talk about why I don't call Miranda and Voldemort my parents. And I got mad at him when he wouldn't drop the subject; now I don't know if we're still together or if he . . . if he wants to . . . to break up with me."

"Child, dear child," Sirius soothed as he smoothed her hair from her face. "It will be okay. All you have to do is talk to him and ask him. Ask him if he still wants to be with you. And I have a pretty good idea of what he'll say." She looked at him and for once they were filled with gratitude and not fear like he always saw when she was around him. Maybe she was beginning to change the way she saw things around her.

"He was the best thing that has happened to me in a long time and I let him slip through my fingers. I pushed him away and now I'm alone again." Ileana looked up at Sirius and sighed. "I can't remember a day when I haven't been all alone after my eleventh birthday." Sirius nodded, knowing all about how the Sears had practically abandoned her after she started to show her powers. That was one of the things that made him mad about muggles; actually it was the only thing that mad him mad at them.

"How about you go upstairs and get a good night's sleep and when you wake up . . . go and talk to Fred, even if he won't talk to you. If you want something bad enough, you have to work for it. This is no different."

She nodded and walked slowly up to her bedroom. Looking at the poster of her and her old band members Ileana felt a pang of loss. She really missed her old friends when she had lived in Paris. Faye, Janet, Anna and Rose; all made up the band that was once called Play. Ileana had been the lead singer until last summer when they had all had a huge fight. Faye and Rose wanted to stop being an innocent band and go hard core. But Janet and Anna wanted to stick with the songs they had already made. Being the lead singer, Ileana was turned to, to make the final decision. But at the last moment she had been accepted to Hogwarts and that was that. The band had all agreed that they would not go on without her.

Putting on the cd, Ileana smiled and thought back to all the time they had spent in the recording studio. She wished she knew what they were doing right now. She sure could use a shoulder to cry on now. But it seemed that she had lost everyone that was offered to her. Drifting off to sleep, she smiled:

_This little girl didn't care what anybody said_

_She got the whole world dancing to the music in her head_

_They loved to trash her bad, laugh at her and call her names_

_And now they all try to copy her, isn't that a shame_

_It only made her stronger . . ._

_He knew he was different, the sucker couldn't win_

_They didn't dig his vision; they tried to fit him in_

_But there's no room for losers until they make you change_

_Tell me how much longer . . ._

She got dressed and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. There was only one table set up seeing as almost everyone had gone to Hogsmeade. She sat across from Dumbledore and between Harry and Neville. She ate in silence and tried to ignore Harry when he continued to stare at her. After he continued to keep looking at her she got angry. "What are you looking at?" she said in an angry whisper. "It isn't nice to stare, you know." Dumbledore who had heard her looked at them with interest.

"I wasn't staring at you Ileana." Harry said glaring right back at her. He didn't understand why she was so angry when she was the one that was mad at Fred.

"Oh, whatever," she whispered angrily. "Just stay away from me." With that she jumped up from the table and ran out of the Great Hall. Dumbledore looked at Ileana's retreating form and then at Harry who bowed his head. When she was safely in her room, Ileana began to pace. When all she succeeded in was, making herself tense, she went down to the common room. Dumbledore and McGonagall were waiting for her. She looked at them both and then sat in one of the armchairs, "Yes, professors?"

"We wanted to make sure," Dumbledore said, "that you were being cautious. We do not want you wandering around the school past bedtime."

"And," McGonagall added, "We don't want you in the Forbidden Forest or outside past dark."

"Why do I have to?" Ileana stood up and gave a smile. "I meant that I'll do as you say I just want to know why."

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has been sighted in the area." She said.

"You mean Voldemort's is here, right now?" Ileana asked her eyes widening. McGonagall flinched at the name and then excused herself.

"Yes and we wanted you and Harry to be careful seeing as everyone will be going home for new year's eve tomorrow." Ileana nodded in understanding and then he left. She really wanted to talk to Fred, but she knew that he had already left with the rest of his family. She didn't like the idea of Voldemort lurking around, but there wasn't much she could do about it, without getting herself killed. Pacing, again, she came up with the only solution that would keep everyone out of danger.

"Professor, I want to go home," Ileana said as she sat down opposite his desk. He shook his head and her heart dropped. He wouldn't actually make her stay, would he?

"I thought we already went over this Ileana?" Dumbledore said saddened that the young woman in front of him would want to leave his safety. "If you stay here you will be able to fight and do good. But if you leave, there is nothing I or anyone else can do to help you."

"Look professor," Ileana said in an exasperated voice, "lord Voldemort is after me, so if anyone got hurt I'd never forgive myself. So, I'm going home," she paused, "with or without your help." He shook his head again and spoke.

"A carriage will be waiting for you in two hours." With that he dismissed her and Ileana headed to pack her things. She packed all of her clothes and the rest of her belongings. And then she looked at the wall above her bed where her poster and her pictures were hanging. Waving her hand they all flew into her suitcase. Unlike everyone else here, she could use magic without a wand. Which she found very odd, but she didn't want to tell anyone yet. Sitting on her bed for a moment and she sighed. Laying down she wondered how her life had gotten so complicated. And fell asleep thinking of seeing Tim and Maria again.

When Ileana woke up she was in her room at her parents' house in Paris. She looked around and smiled to herself. A not was on her dresser explaining that Dumbledore had Apparated her to her house after finding her asleep in her room at Hogwarts. A second note was there as well explaining that Tim and Maria were had went on a trip to the Caribbean. Ileana got dressed in a flimsy black skirt, and a hugging grey and black striped long-sleeved t-shirt.

Going downstairs and into the kitchen to fix herself some breakfast she shivered. Something about the house was off. It was a weird feeling and it wouldn't go away. After she had finished eating she did all of the housework trying ot get her mind off of the weird vibe the house was giving her. she washed the dishes, cleaned the rooms and vacuumed the house. Then she head towards the attic. It was always the messiest part of the house. And she was sure that she would get bonus points if she cleaned it before Tim and Maria got back.

As she began to climb the attic stairs her foot slipped in something wet. When she looked down, her heart gave an awful leap. The stairs were covered in blood. Ileana bit her lip to keep from screaming and went into the attic. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness she looked around, "Mom! Dad!" Ileana screamed as she ran and knelt by her parents bloodied bodies, "Mom! Dad! Wake up!" Ileana shook them.

"Ileana . . ." her mother said faintly as she opened her eyes. Ileana nodded as tears fell from her eyes. "It's too . . . late for us." Maria said gasping.

"No!" Ileana screamed. She didn't want to lose them, she couldn't lose them.

"Listen to me," Maria commanded taking Ileana's chin in her hand. Ileana's face was soaked with tears. "You have to run . . . run far away. It isn't safe . . . for you to stay here." Her mother trailed off.

"Mom," Ileana cried. "Who did this to you? Who? Mom answer me!" Ileana had a pretty good idea who had done this but she had to hear it form her mother's mouth.

"Vol . . . de . . . mort" with that her mother died in her arms. Ileana clenched her eyes shut and cried 'no' over and over again as she wept against her parents' lifeless bodies. After awhile she detangled herself from her parents and sulked down the attic stairs. She put a cloak over her bloodied clothes and grabbed her wand. Grabbing the telephone she dialed the only number she could think of. The only person she could trust right now.

"Bonjour?" a sleepy voice said from the other line.

"Faye?" Ileana asked hesitantly.

"Oui, qui est-ce?"

"It's Ileana, I . . . I need your help."

"I'll be right there." Hanging up the phone Ileana went outside and sat down on the stairs of her house. An hour later Faye pulled into drive way. Ileana got in the passenger seat and closed her eyes. Noticing the blood all over her best friend, Faye pulled out and hurried to get home. Once there Ileana curled herself on the couch and refused to get up. Faye made her some coffee and they sat there talking for hours. When the rest of Play arrived they knew something was up. Faye filled them in, seeing as they were all witches. They just attended Beauxbatons instead of Hogwarts.

"It was Voldemort, 'e is back again." Faye said in her thick French accent. Anna, Janet and Rose all gasped at the news and sat down with a thud. "Voldemort, 'e 'as killed her parents," Faye said with a sad voice. Ileana curled up on the couch and fell asleep to the girls' voices.

"Okay thanks Dumbledore. No, no I'll tell him myself." Mr. Weasley said as he hung up the phone. Fred and Ron noticed that their father was pale and he didn't look so good. Fred stood up and helped his father into a chair just as Molly entered the room.

"Oh my, what's wrong?" she asked sitting down next to her husband.

"They just found Ileana's parents," he said and Fred got tense at the mention of her name. She was still mad at him and he was at her. But his face fell with his father's next words. "They were found murdered in their attic and there's no sign of Ileana anywhere." Fred's heart leapt and he wondered where Ileana was and if she was safe. Then he felt stupid for their fight and wished he could have taken it back.

"You boys don't know where she might go, do you?" Molly asked her voice shaky and worried for the girl who had made such a good impression on their family. Fred thought back to the times he had been in her room and shook his head.

"There was a poster on her wall of a band." Fred said capturing everyone's attention. "She was the lead singer . . . I think the band was called Play." Arthur nodded and picked up the phone to call Dumbledore. Hopefully he would know where to look. After that Fred decided that he was going to go help Dumbledore with the search for Ileana. It was the least he could do.

Dumbledore with Harry and Fred at his side walked up the steps of the French house that housed the band Play. Dumbledore was sure that Ileana was here and it wasn't safe for her to stay. He knocked on the door and a petite blonde answered the door. She pursed her lips and looked at them curiously. Then upon seeing Harry's scar shrieked and closed the door. They all looked dumbfounded. When the door opened again an older red haired girl stood there with hands on her hip. "Can I 'elp you?"

"Uh, yes, we are looking for Ileana." Dumbledore said trying to peer around her and inside. She let him but he didn't see anyone else around. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot with impatience.

"We 'ave not seen Ileana for . . . uh, almost a year." Faye said without as much as a blink to give away her lie. But for some reason Dumbledore knew she was lying to protect her friend. She was a loyal friend and she didn't know who he was so she would not tell him where Ileana was.

"I am Dumbledore, headmaster at Hogwarts." Her eyes widened and he saw her visibly relax. Fred and Harry just watched trying to figure out what was going on. Faye waved them inside and closed and locked the door behind them.

"I am glad that you are 'ere," Faye said sighing. Walking them into the living room they saw Ileana asleep on the couch. Fred's heart leapt at the sight of blood all over her clothes and streaks of blood across her face. "She will not talk to us and . . . she has not woken up since she fell asleep two days ago."

"We'll have to take her back to Hogwarts to keep her safe." Dumbledore said and saw the young woman stiffen in anger. She put her hands on her hip and stepped in front of them to block their view of Ileana.

"Keep her safe?" she asked in a low whisper, "The way you kept her parents safe? I'm not going to allow you to take her from here. At least here we are protected by our head mistress and four other witches." Fred saw the complete devotion to her friend in the girl's eyes and winced. She wasn't going to allow them to take Ileana without a fight.

"Faye, it's okay," Ileana said sitting up and wincing at her headache. They all turned stunned eyes on her and she gave a sad smile. Faye rushed to her side and out of nowhere three other girls were at her side.

"Are you sure, 'oney," Janet asked in sloppy English. Anna and Rose sat down next to her as Faye and Janet were kneeling in front of her. Ileana caught sight of Fred and felt tears fall from her eyes. She nodded her head and tried to stand, but found that she couldn't. Fred was at her side immediately and she clung to him as he helped her stay standing. Then her head exploded in unwanted pain and she felt herself fall into blackness.

As Ileana unpacked her things from her suitcase she let the tears slip down her face. Tim and Maria weren't always there for her but they had loved her and had given her a home to call her own. They didn't deserve to die and it was all her fault that they did. This time she hung pictures of Miranda, Tim and Maria but not Voldemort. She swore if she ever ran into him she would kill him for what he had done to her parents. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped. Hermione smiled lightly and Ileana hugged her. they stayed like that until Ileana couldn't stand there anymore. "You need any help unpacking?"

"Yeah, I need to hang a few more pictures and . . ." she trailed off as she caught sight of Fred in the doorway. She opened her mouth to talk to him, and then promptly closed it and turned back to her box of pictures. Sorting through them she placed them in three piles: Hang on the wall, keep in the box, and throw away. Any pictures that had Voldemort were put in the throw away pile.

"What about this one?" Hermione asked holding up a picture that had fallen to the ground. It was the one of Voldemort and Miranda when she was pregnant with Ileana. Picking it up she tossed it in the throw away pile and then hesitated. If she threw all of those pictures away she would never see them again. Then Ileana decided that not seeing them again wasn't such a bad idea. Sweeping them into the trash she turned to Hermione. "I have to go to class now, but I'll see you later. Okay, bye." Nodding she recalled the conversation that her and Dumbledore had had after she had changed from her blood soaked clothes.

"I brought you back to Hogwarts so that all the teachers and I can keep an eye on you." He had said brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. She had looked at him and then looked at the floor.

"What am I going to do professor?" Ileana had asked. "I have no money to stay here at Hogwarts and go to classes. And to be honest I don't think I'll be able to attend classes." Dumbledore had nodded and then led her to her room with her suitcase.

"You don't have to attend classes as long as you do the homework and get in on time." She nodded her thanks and he had left her to unpack.

Now she was sitting here on the bed with her picture album of her friends from Play. She really hoped that she got to see them again and got to sing with them again someday. There, she fell asleep, thinking of her parents and what Voldemort would do if he ever found out about her friends in Paris.

During the night Ileana woke up groggy and disoriented. Standing up a wave of dizziness crashed through her making her moan and grab onto the bed for support. After it had passed she made her way down to the common room. As she reached the top of the stairs a vision grabbed her so hard that she tumbled down the stairs. In her vision Voldemort was offering his hand to her and she was shaking it. It looked as if she was making a deal with him. But she would never do that; never betray the memory of her parents and team up with that sorry excuse for a wizard.

As the vision drabbled away she heard a voice calling to her. but she ignored it as the pain from her fall down the stairs assaulted her senses. The voice was calling for her to open her eyes. When she finally did she saw Fred kneeling beside her a worried look on his face. When she tried to move her head started screaming at her in pain; when the pain left she sat up with a groan. She felt Fred stand her up and she felt her knees buckled beneath her. But before she could hit the floor, Fred scooped her into his arms.

"Ileana what happened," Fred asked as he climbed the stairs while cradling her against his chest. He heard her mumble something but couldn't make out exactly what she had said. But it had sounded like something about a vision and Voldemort and never ever? If that made any sense to her then it would have to, to him. Laying her on the bed he noticed her eyes were closed and there was a blue bruise on the side of her head. That was a nasty fall, and he was glad that he had decided to go to bed late tonight. Ileana was out the moment her head had hit the pillow.

A funny smell hit Ileana's nose as she lay asleep. It smelled like grass and trees, but she was inside right? Rolling over she searched for her blanket but all her hands felt were grass. She opened her eyes and almost screamed. She was outside alright, in the Forbidden Forest. She scrambled to her feet as a figure stepped out of the shadows. She gasped and backed away slowly. There walking towards her could rival her worst nightmare: Voldemort.

"Hello my daughter. I have finally found you." Voldemort said in an eerie way that made her shiver in revulsion. She wasn't afraid of him, just of what he could do to those she loved. "It's nice to see you again." Ileana backed away again not wanting to ever be this close to him ever again. "Now, daughter, you aren't afraid of me, are you?" he laughed but was cut short when she stepped towards him with hands on her hips.

"First thing's first, I am not your daughter, I never was and never will be." She spat out between clenched teeth. "And second I'm not afraid of you; not at all." She yelled at him in fury.

"Now is that any way to treat your father, Victoria?"

"Third, you are not my father. My father was Tim Sears and you murdered him. Fourth my name is Ileana; not Victoria or 'daughter!'" Ileana said feeling herself getting angrier and angrier with every passing moment in his presence. "I'm not related to, and never will be to, a murdering bastard like you."

"You'll pay for that daughter," he laughed at her.

"I'm telling you I saw him take her this way," Ron said looking at Fred, Harry and Hermione in fear. They were in the forest looking for Ileana. They stopped short when they heard Ileana's voice raised in anger. "Told you so," Ron said as they pulled back the bushes. They were just in time to see Voldemort lunge at Ileana with a knife in his hand. The all yelled, "Ileana!"

"Bastard," Ileana spat out as she held her profusely bleeding stomach. She hadn't seen the knife coming until it was too late, otherwise she would have kicked his ass from here to kingdom come. Looking over at her friends who were suspended in a barrier she gave a pain filled smile. Locking eyes with Fred she saw the anger at Voldemort on his face and the anguish at her predicament in his eyes. She sunk to her knees as the will to stand drained out of her, "Evil fucking bastard."

"Join me now and I will spare your friends and your life," Ileana jumped up and flung her arm out at him. He went flying into the nearest tree, much to everyone's surprise except Ileana.

"You lay a fucking hand on anyone else I love and you will regret the day I was born," she said, and she saw fear flash through Voldemort's eyes. But it was gone in the same instant that it had appeared. He got back to his feet and pointed his wand at her. she lifted her chin, daring him to attack her. but he didn't.

"Join me and I'll bring back your parents." He said smiling as all the color drained from her face.

"You son-of-a-bitch," she said under her breath. She knew his promises were empty and nothing could bring them back but he was so testing her patience. Holding her stomach with one hand she flung the other one at him again and he flew deeper into the forest. And she stood there for a minute before she realized that he was gone. And as the barrier around her friends dissolved she fell to her knees and then to the forest floor. She let the grey haze settle over her and carry her off to unconsciousness.

"Ileana," Fred reached her side first and flipped her onto her back. There was a lot of blood soaking her shirt and it gave his heart an awful leap. Dumbledore and Snape appeared with a stretcher and Fred stepped out of their way. He could not help her, but they could. Snape, he saw, was holding her hand in his while he tried to find a pulse. She was in the hands of those she cared about and who cared about her.

"What the hell happened?" Ileana asked as she opened her eyes. Blinking a couple of times everything came into focus. She saw Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, George, and Fred around her hospital bed. They were smiling at her and she smiled back. Sitting up she looked at Fred and for the first time she wanted to apologize to him for the things she had said. "Ugh, now I remember."

"Yeah, you gave us a right good scare," Fred said holding her hand and giving it a squeeze. She smiled and then frowned when she saw that Ron was giving her a weird look.

"We were, uh, wondering how you did that bit of magic with your . . . um, your hand?" he asked stuttering every now and then. Ginny and Hermione smacked him on the back of the head and Ileana laughed.

"I've always been able to do magic without my wand. That's why I don't always carry it around with me." She said and was surprised when a voice spoke up.

"Yes, well that would have been useful had you told one of the teachers." Snape said stepping up and kissing her forehead. She saw Harry's eyes widen at the show of affection and smiled. Then Dumbledore and McGonagall appeared and shooed all of them out except for Ileana. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Um, because I thought that it was a little weird . . . and I don't know. I just felt like keeping it my secret." She said. Dumbledore nodded and then smiled.

"Well, now we have a secret weapon against your father." She flinched and then returned his smile.

"Would you do me a favor and not refer to him as my father?" Dumbledore nodded his understanding and sighed.

"You have to be extra cautious from now on." He warned and she gave him her full attention. "We did not realize that Voldemort had you until it was almost too late. I'm afraid that if you do not keep on guard we won't be able to protect you." She nodded and the teachers left her to think for herself. She wondered if Snape would be willing let her arm herself with his potions. Well she knew the first thing she was going to do when she was released from the medical bay; apologize to Fred and try to fix everything between them.

Ileana was release from the medical wing two days after she had woken up. She was on her way to see Fred in Gryffindor common room when Malfoy stepped into her path, blocking her from going anywhere. "Hey Ileana," Draco said as she crossed her arms and glared at him.

"What do you want Malfoy?" she asked with a sigh. She tried to go around him but her stopped her.

"Just want to talk," he said once again blocking her path to the common room. She leaned against the wall with a sigh.

"What do you want talk about Malfoy?" she asked and then added under her breath, "This had better be good."

"Well I wanted to know if," he leaned closer to her, "you'd go out with me." She jumped away from him.

"Hell no," she said in a shocked voice. "I don't like you Malfoy. Why do you think I avoid you?"

"Is that the only reason?" he asked taking a menacing step forward. She took an involuntary step back.

"Yes as a matter a fact there is another reason." She said lifting her chin and keeping her ground. "I already have a boyfriend, sorry." She was, of course, exaggerating a little bit. She still wasn't sure if her Fred were still going out. But that was where she was headed, to find out; if this bleach for brains idiot would get out of her way.

"Who," Draco asked in a nasty voice. She really, really didn't like him very much. "It better not be that goody two shoes Potter." He glared as he stepped towards her.

"No it's not Harry, Malfoy," she said in a calm voice. "I'm going out with Fred. Now if you don't mind, get out of my way." As she tried to get past him he grabbed her arm in a very tight grip and turned her around.

"Weasley?" he spat, "That wizarding family is a disgrace to all pure bloods." He said tightening his grip on her arm. She winced and could feel the bruise forming.

"As if your family isn't a disgrace to all mankind," She said her anger getting the better of her. But she couldn't just stand there and let him trash talk the one she loved. "And if you do not let go of me, you will regret it." She tried to yank her arm away but he just held on tighter.

"Oh, and what are you going to do if I don't let go?" Malfoy asked inches from her face. She turned her head away from him and kneed him in his groin. She broke her arm free as he doubled over in pain and ran all the way to Gryffindor tower. When she was safely inside she collapsed on the couch out of breath.

"What's wrong?" Fred asked as he sat down beside her on the couch. He was glad that she had finally been released from the hospital wing, but something was wrong, he knew it. She rubbed her wrists and he saw the bruises on them. Grabbing her hands gently her began to get angered.

"Oh Malfoy was just being an ass, that's all," she said taking her hands from his to try and hide the bruises. She rubbed them again and winced with pain.

"Malfoy did this to you?" Fred asked his voice low and threatening. She looked at him and bit her lip. He scowled and gently massaged her wrists with his hand. "You should report him to one of the teachers." He swore under his breath as she winced in pain again.

"I'll tell Dumbledore in the morning. But I was on my way to see you when Malfoy decided to prove his stupidity." She said earning a faint grin from Fred. He looked at her curiously. She looked away and grabbed his hands to keep them still. "Are we, uh, are we still together?" Fred saw that she was serious and wanted to kick himself for putting that doubt in her mind.

"Of course we are, brat," he said earning a grin from her for using his nickname for her. He pulled her closer to him and bent down to her. She met him halfway and he smiled through the kiss. Ileana was lost in the kiss and gasped when his tongue slipped into her mouth. Breaking the kiss she looked away a blush gracing her cheeks. Fred realized that he must have gone to fast and winced.

"Uh, sorry, it's just that . . . that was, uh, new," Ileana said trying to find the words to explain herself. Fred tilted her chin up so she would meet his eyes.

"No. I'm sorry, I went too fast." He kissed her lightly on the lips and smiled when she grinned. "If I go too fast, just tell me and I'll stop, I promise." She nodded and sighed.

"I have to get some sleep if I'm going to go report Malfoy in the morning." He nodded as she went upstairs to go to sleep. Fred looked into the fire and balled his hands into fists. If Malfoy ever came near her again he'd hurt him; like he hurt Ileana, but much, so much worse.

"Professor?" Ileana asked in a hesitant voice. She had just told Dumbledore and Snape about her encounter with Malfoy. And Snape was balling his fists up so tight that his knuckles had gone white.


End file.
